Harry Potter and the Heir's Soul
by VainlyInsane
Summary: Harry's return to Hogwarts is fraught with new dangers and threats. Daphne's soulbond is more a curse than meets the eye. And a new face in the middle of it all could spell doom for them all. Second part of my Harry Potter series, T for language and situations, but nothing too bad.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: In the Night..

Lucius Malfoy eyed the crowd warily. His face was calm, yet he could not feel more worry or fear. He wasn't sure which he himself felt more. It had finally happened. The item he was given was finally acting up. This was the sign he'd been told to look for in an… untimely event.

This was every bit as disappointing as it was worrisome. He'd been loath to acknowledge the small item in his possession, and quite frankly hoping to leave it in the past. While the Malfoys had gone legitimate - _mostly_ , he smirked internally- he knew this would heavily affect that in very negative ways.

Hogwarts had ended the school year, the students were out and he had agreed to follow his wife, Narcissa, to pick up Draco. He knew he had to plant the object on someone, as per HIS wishes. It would also help to be rid of the dark object. It would affect his credibility if it were to be found on him. But it was too soon. He needed to find a target and place the object with them on their way to Hogwarts, not back from.

This would be his scouting mission. He'd been eyeing potential targets since arriving at Kings Cross.

"Are you well, dear?" Narcissa asked, looking out to the crowd with him. She needn't look to know something was bothering her husband. He gave a small smile, thankful to have her. Through hell or high waters, she'd stuck through with him.

"All is well. Just hoping Draco hurries. I do not like being around the filth." He said quietly. His wife nodded, eyeing the Hogwarts Express as it slowed to a stop.

"This way, Molly!" said the voice of a man Lucius recognized. He turned to see Arthur Weasley and his wife, along with two little girls.

"Arthur." He said coolly. The man eyed him cautiously.

"Lucius." He returned. The red-headed man hurried his wife along with the girls. They didn't have time to dawdle with a Malfoy.

Lucius eyed the man with disgust. _Blood traitors. All of them._ Lucius thought. Watching the family walk away, Lucius' blank face gave way to a small, cold grin. He had his target. Now to wait for the opportune time…

OooooO

Harry Potter sighed and rolled over in bed. It'd been a short few weeks since his encounter with Lord Voldemort. He got up with a long sigh and opened this school trunk. He gave a small grumble and opened it, sorting through the few things he still had in there. He found his school bag and took out the work he needed to do. He arranged the homework he'd been neglect to do on his desk. It was all standard between years practice and essays. Professor Snape's work proved quickly to be the most difficult aspect of it.

"Finally?" asked a quiet voice. Harry smirked, not too surprised anymore. He turned to Daphne Greengrass standing by the doorway.

"There's been a lot on my mind lately." He said, giving her a small smile. Daphne nodded. Harry had told her the more intimate details of his encounter with a dead man. It wasn't something to overlook, Voldemort drawing parallels to you. It was somehow more disconcerting than knowing the Dark wizard he was so famous for defeating was still alive.

"Harry, you can't dwell on this so strongly." Daphne said quietly. She didn't want her parents to hear them. Again.

"How can't I, Daphne?" He said, sighing. He knew he shouldn't, but he couldn't help it.

"Because it's a mind trick. He makes you feel like him and you'll feel alone and disconnected from people." She replied, matching his sigh.

"I'm already disconnected from most people." Harry said glumly. Daphne smiled.

"Not from me you aren't." She said with a grin. One look and Harry found it impossible to not return the grin.

"That's very true. And very helpful." Harry said. He cleared his throat and sat up, looking as prim and proper as an eleven year old in pajamas could. "Very well. My schoolwork must be done." He said, imitating Draco Malfoy as best he could. Daphne giggled and held Harry in the over coddling way Pansy Parkinson held Draco.

"But dear, if you're paying attention to that, how will you pay attention to meee?" She squealed like Pansy, drawing out the long E sound of me. They both laughed for a moment while Harry tried to prepare his desk for schoolwork.

"Uh, Daph?" He began.

"Hm?" She asked, looking at him. She suddenly realized how close to him was and froze. His green eyes reflecting her blue ones.

"You're still leaning on me." He said, raising an eyebrow.

"you're right, sorry." She said blushing brightly.

"Daphne? You're still on me." He said irritate.

She slowly leaned back and Harry rolled his eyes playfully. Daphne sheepishly grinned back. He pulled out the list and frowned.

 _In our lessons we covered bezoar stones. In thirty centimeters, describe them and something they do not help against._

"Helpful." Harry muttered. Daphne sighed.

"You know what bezoars are, Harry." Daphne chided. Harry nodded.

"I know that, but something they don't help against? That's a pretty broad range of things." Harry noted.

"Poisons, Harry." Daphne said with a roll of her eyes. "What poisons don't they protect against"

"No, that part is perfectly clear." Harry replied, frowning at his school work.

"Well, Potter," Daphne began, making her voice as close to the Hogwarts Potionsmaster as she could, "You need to broaden your thinking. A bezoar protects against most poison, and venoms."

"A venom!" Harry exclaimed, smiling as he began writing onto his parchment.

"Eh, wha?" Daphne questioned in confusion.

"I got this book from Tracey a bit back, a recommendation she got from Hagrid. In it, it lists a creature that Hagrid seems to know a lot about and has a venom that bezoars won't keep you from dying of." Harry rambled, writing as he talked.

"Okay, so getting to the point at hand, what is it?" Daphne asked. She was interested in whatever this idea was.

"Acromantulas." Harry said with a proud smirk. He opened his desk drawer and pulled a very worn book out. _Property of Hagrid,_ said the barely legible scrawl on the cover. He quickly opened the book to the section on the creatures.

"Spiders. Acromantulas are giant spiders." Daphne said blankly. She did not like spiders.

"Yeah. I believe our Hogwarts groundskeeper might know one." Harry said with a grin.

"Ugh. Why?" Daphne said with a groan. She knew Harry would stay on this for a bit longer.

"Read this." Harry said, pointing to the book. Next to a passage on the behavior of acromantulas, Hagrid had added a side note that read

" _That's not true. Aragog is big but he's not mean. He loves his time with me. Dangerous creatures. Dangerous my-"_

"Harry? Daphne?" A female voice asked, entering the room with a yawn. The children jumped and turned to see Daphne's mother, Victoria Greengrass standing in the doorway, rubbing her eyes. "Have you two any idea of what time it is?"

"I'm sorry mum. Harry finally started on his homework and we were brainstorming topics." Daphne said quickly. Harry nodded along, showing his assignment and readied quill. Victoria frowned.

"Daphne, go to your room. Harry James Potter, why are you only now starting your homework?" She scolded gently. Harry looked a bit embarrassed and Daphne nodded, straightening herself out.

"Good night, Harry." Daphne said with a sheepish smile. She knew she was getting off easy. Harry would have to explain why his homework was just now being worked on. "Good night, mum."

"Good night, dear." Victoria said, watching Daphne leave. "Harry. Why aren't you done with your school work yet?"

"I've been preoccupied." Harry said with a small sigh. At his request, Dumbledore hadn't told the Greengrass parents about what happened at school, insisting on telling them himself. Harry had been putting it off along with his homework, but now there was no way around either.

"Preoccupied with what, dear? Is all well?" She asked with concern. Seeing no way around it, Harry sighed and took a small pause, gathering up the will to tell Victoria. That's where he saw his final chance to delay.

"Could I maybe tell you and Cyrus later? It's rather important." Harry said quietly.

"Of course, dear." Victoria said with a smile, "You know Cyrus and I are here for you, Harry. Whatever the issue, we'll talk about it in the morning. Now go to bed."

As Harry climbed to bed and said his good nights to Victoria, a small creature watched from the trees overlooking Harry's window.

"Harry Potter…" It whispered to itself. _I must help Harry Potter. He is in grave dangers. He must not return to Hogwarts this school year. The master is planning a very bad thing. I feels it._ The creature thought about how to handle this as he felt himself quickly called away. _Bad masters is always calling._

With a cracking sound, the little creature was gone.

OooooO

Daphne laid in bed, eyeing the ceiling. The enchanted roof was constantly changing, currently looking like a starry night breaking through a cloudy barrier. She sighed and rolled over, her mind too occupied to sleep.

 _Is this fair,_ she thought to herself, _fair to Harry and I?_

The soul bond wore greatly in her mind. Very little was known about it or how they worked. From what she'd been able to uncover, soul bonds were a major risk. Despite the signs of them, and their meanings, most bonded never stayed or got together, choosing to fight predestined loves and make their own choices. But according to the book, it was also when both parties knew.

Therein lay the issue. Harry was blissfully unaware of the magical connection between them. Her parents had trusted her to tell Harry, and as of yet hadn't gotten to it. She didn't know how. How do you tell your best friend that you're meant to be together or else? Especially with that or else looming.

" _The bonded must be together, as their magicks will be stronger. But apart they weaken and break."_

The book was very vague, but weakening and breaking did not sound pleasant. She was also worried because a lot of the searching she'd gone on lead to her discovering how many people had tried to find ways out of soul bonds. The number of the successful ones was marred by how much effort they required and how dark some of them were. She knew she could break off the soul bond and they'd both be free and safe. But she didn't want to.

Even before her parents told her, she had feelings for the slightly younger wizard. She grinned a little at and sighed. Truth be told, maybe she loved-

A sudden crack made Daphne shoot upright, dragging her blanket to her chin in surprise. An unknown house elf stood there, eyeing the cautious girl.

"Who are- what are- why are- what?" Daphne tried, somewhat confused. She didn't recognize the elf.

"I is Dobby, Missy Greengrass." Said the elf, bowing slightly. He spoke quickly, as if in a hurry.

"Very well, why are you here, Dobby?" She asked, trying to figure out why a strange elf was in her room in the middle of the night.

"Dobby saw missus Greengrass was awake and needed to warn her. She needs to know." Dobby cried, the squeaky words rushing out. The girl eyed him warily, slowly reaching for the wand beneath her pillow.

"A warning? Who sent you?" Daphne demanded, her eyes suddenly cold and tense. The elf shuddered and smacked himself, signs of disobedience.

"Can't say. But missus, you must listen. Harry Potter is in grave danger."the strange elf squeaked. Daphne drew her wand and pointed, but the elf was gone with a cracking before she finished her move.

"What the hell?" She breathed. The elf had left her noticeably worried. He threatened Harry. _No,_ she thought, _he came to warn me. But who is after him?_ The elf was back with another cracking sound, shaking.

"Missus, I doesn't has time. Please. Harry Potter must not be going back to Hogwarts." Dobby squeaked. Daphne realized it looked like he got hit in the face in the moment he'd been gone. With those words, the elf vanished again, leaving Daphne fraught with worry.

Outside from his vantage point, Dobby saw Daphne look around and the worry on her face. The elf sighed and gingerly held his limp ear. If his masters knew what he'd done, a limp ear would be the least of his worries. Why he had told Daphne? Because Dobby was a house elf, a magical creature. He saw magic different from humans, as did lots of other magical creatures.

And he could see the bonds that tied Daphne Greengrass and Harry Potter. Daphne's rings were a faint glowing golden series of bands around her, whereas Harry's were faint silvery coils all tangled together. He knew she would want him safe. Even if the Potter boy didn't understand why.

"Zeri?" said a voice in the next room. Dobby looked to see Harry Potter bring the Greengrass house elf into sight, asking him politely for a glass of water and a nighttime snack.

 _Dobby wishes his masters was that nice to him. But they doesn't like Dobby very much._ The elf though, watching the boy thank the elf for the acquired foodstuffs and drink. He liked the boy, from what he'd overheard. He knew his masters were not good people. But this Harry Potter they hated so much was sure not bad person. With a sigh, he cracked away, back to his hurtful and spiteful masters.

OooooO

Harry sighed at the homework he'd had laying on the desk. His inspiration for acromantula venom for Snape's essay was short lived and didn't give him enough to fill out the entirety of the assignment. A soft sigh left him and he wondered what to do. He could continue with the other parts of his summer work and try to research what he could on the massive spiders later during the day. But his mind just wasn't handling schoolwork.

He sighed and leaned back in his chair.

"I could go to bed and actually sleep this time." Harry said to himself.

 _As if you'd actually sleep._ His mind replied icily.

"I could do other homework papers. McGonagall's isn't too complicated." He countered.

 _Harry, if you were going to, you would have already._

"Dammit." He said with a defeated sigh. He knew what all of it was. Quirrell being a dark wizard AND Voldemort at the same time. Harry liked the Defense Teacher. He was a total bust at first, but proved particularly adapt

" _Harry, you really do have a talent for this." Professor Quirrell said, smiling broadly. Harry had easily managed top marks in the Defense Against the Dark Arts class. It made him proud, despite keeping it to himself. Quirrell had even tutored him and showed him some advanced techniques for first years to help with spell casting stances and drawing._

Harry was drawn out of his memory by a single sobering thought.

 _Was that Quirrell or Voldemort taking you under their wing?_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Uncomfortable Truths and Sobering Lies**

Harry groaned. Truth be told, this was his fault. He did tell Victoria that he'd tell her and Cyrus what had happened at school. He was laying in bed, deciding if it was worth getting up yet. He weighed his options for a good while. On one hand, the talk with the Greengrasses was bound to go one of two ways: badly or catastrophically. The bed, however? That was just comfort and softness. The curtains were closed and the enchanted ceiling was set to Harry's taste; snow drifts. The faux sunlight glinted softly on the magical snow.

"There's no way around it, is there?" Daphne asked. Harry shook his head. He had no idea when she'd come in, but somehow he knew she was there.

"If there was, I'm sure we'd have thought of it by now." Harry replied. Daphne smirked.

"You know this, as we're so clever, or you hope you and I are that clever?" She teased. Harry frowned.

"Both?" He asked. Daphne giggled. "Hey, I'm just waking up, give me a break." Harry mumbled.

"Well, I do believe it's time to get up. If not, mum and dad would come to you." Daphne said with a smile.

"Why are you so happy?" Harry asked, raised eyebrow.

"Because for once, you're in trouble and it's not both of us." Daphne chided.

"So, you think Cyrus and Victoria will be happy _you_ didn't say _anything_ to them?" Harry smirked. As Daphne's expression slowly became panicked, he had to resist the urge to laugh.

"I didn't-" She began

"Daphne?" Cyrus' voice called. "I need you in the living room, dear."

"Coming, dad!" She called back. "Good luck." She gave Harry a small kiss on the cheek and ran out, hurrying to her father.

With a sigh, Harry got up. No point in putting it off now.

Well, maybe after a long bath.

OooooO

 _Bad masters is plotting again,_ Dobby thought. The family he belonged to were always plotting, but something in the last years had slowed them down. Now it was back in full force. _What is they plotting?_

"Elf, I suggest you stop standing idly by and get to cleaning." A voice behind him said rudely, pulling him out of his thoughts.

"Dobby is sorry, young Master. I will stop standing." The elf squeaked out, panicking. A kick from behind struck him hard in the back and he fell into a book case, knocking over several of the books and various items on it.

"Look at the mess you made. Clean it, or there will be consequences." The man said coldly, walking into the study.

"Yes, master. Dobby will clean." The elf groaned. His nose was a little bloody and he'd probably get killed if he got his blood on anything.

Dobby stuffed a portion of his burlap sack covering into his nose and got to cleaning. _Masters doesn't want Dobby to clean with magic. Dobby has to do it all the muggle way._ The elf bitterly thought. _Masters is planning on hurting Harry Potter. But the boy hasn't done anything to masters._

"Either way, Potter is bound to targeted." The first voice from the study came. "He might be a Slytherin, but we know he's in the wrong place."

"And if… _IT_ doesn't go for him?" the second came.

"We were still ordered to put him out of the Lord's misery." The first said firmly.

"But…." The second voice trailed off. There were enough increments of volume here and there that Dobby knew the conversation was still happening.

 _Don't stop cleaning, Dobby. But think. How can you warn Harry Potter? Missy Greengrass hasn't told him yet._ The elf wondered, arranging the books back in the Master's preferred order. With a quick sniffle, he realized his nose was done bleeding and pulled the burlap out. A quick snap cleared the blood away and Dobby rounded the corner into the other Master.

"Why are you in my sight?" She asked, eyes dangerously slit as glared at the unlucky elf. "What is the rule?"

"Out- out of sight," The elf squeaked, terrified.

"I will count to three." She warned.

Dobby stared, thankful for the moment of mercy.

"Three." The witch said instantly, her spell launching the elf across the hall into a door. "If you're still there when I return, you'll be begging for that same treatment."

As the witch walked away, Dobby weakly snapped away , vanishing to the elf quarters.

The room was dark, decrepit, and far from clean, as the Master had ordered against the elf homes being cleaned. Dobby limped to his pile of torn dish rags, most of them blackened with use. He fell into them and winced.

" _These rooms are better than most elves get. Consider yourselves lucky."_ The Master had said. Dobby shook his head. Dobby looked to the other elves in their boxes that the Master called rooms. _Master is a very bad man…_

OooooO

"So, Harry, what is it you wanted to talk to us about?" Cyrus asked, sitting down in the living room. Zeri, the Greengrass house elf cracked into sight and set a glass of firewhiskey. Harry gulped, watching Victoria take a seat next to Cyrus as the seat extended to her. The boy sighed.

"I… I'm not exactly sure how to begin." Harry said. From how hesitant he was, Cyrus felt anxious. The boy spoke clearly and plainly. Usually. But hesitation wasn't a good sign. "At the end of the school year I… had an encounter. With Voldemort."

"What?"

"How?"

Harry waited for the shock questions to end. After a moment of the adult panic and arguing, Harry raised his hand, signaling for their attention.

"Firstly, young man, you will not silence us like that, am I clear?" Victoria scolded, offended by Harry drawing their attention like school children.

"Sorry. I was just trying to explain all of this." Harry grumbled. "I'm entirely unharmed, Dumbledore saved me."

"And why hasn't the Headmaster said a word of this to us?" Cyrus questioned.

"Albus should know better." Victoria reprimanded.

"I asked him not to." Harry stated sternly. "I wanted to be the one to tell you two."

Both Cyrus and Victoria were quiet, and with a curt nod from the Greengrass patriarch, Harry retold the encounter with the Dark wizard. Whenever she began to protest, Cyrus would calm her down, letting Harry continue.

As he talked, he thought carefully about what to say. He omitted Blaise or Tracey's involvement, and kept Daphne's as minimal, knowing the elder Greengrasses wouldn't believe that she had nothing to do with the meeting of the dead man.

Daphne listened in, groaning internally at the heavy editing Harry was doing. _Choppy and unrefined. You didn't practice this much, did you, Harry?_ She thought. She did admit, he at least kept her presence in the story believable. _Not too much, not too little. Very good lie, Harry. I'll have a talk with Tracey about this._ Daphne thought. It would be good to learn his lying pattern. And Tracey had an eye for it.

"And that's when Dumbledore and Voldemort began their duel." Harry said, recounting the duel.

"Wait. They actually had a duel?" Cyrus asked, surprised. He had heard of the dangerous abilities of both of the men involved.

"Well…more or less. Voldemort was very weakened. The Headmaster didn't seem even slightly worried. He even resorted to taunting the Headmaster to try and gain any advantage." Harry said, remembering the absolute confidence the older wizard carried himself with.

Cyrus nodded. "Even not at full force, I much doubt any other wizard would have managed as well against that maniac." Harry nodded with understanding. Weakened or not, Voldemort was a threat.

"I can't believe he's still alive.." Victoria said, paling at the realization that the evil wizard lived.

"Well..on that." Harry began. Cyrus and Victoria looked at the youth. "Voldemort didn't make it. Professor Dumbledore returned his killing curse."

The room was silent. Eerily so. Harry looked around at the intense expressions the adults wore. A small snicker from Victoria was definitely not what he expected. Nor the sudden outburst of laughter from both of them.

"What? What's so funny?" Harry demanded. It seemed almost insulting. Did they not believe him?

"Oh sweetie, we're just so glad that you're unharmed and so very relieved that the mad man has been brought down for good." Victoria smiled, calming from the sheer relief she felt. Cyrus nodded, his laughter also dying down.

"I'm glad we don't have to go through that chaos again." He chuckled. "We sure dodged a bludger there" Harry nodded. He was glad this hadn't gone badly as he thought it would.

"How is your homework looking, Harry?" Victoria asked kindly.

"Very much possible now, thank you." Harry responded, giving them a small and grateful smile.

"Then, my boy, off you go." Cyrus said with a grin. Harry nodded and excused himself. "Daphne, you go to your room as well, young lady. Don't think we didn't know you were listening."

A small sorry was heard along with a second pair of feet running up the stairs.

"Cyrus?" Victoria asked quietly.

"Yes, my love?" He questioned.

"Do you think it's actually over?" She asked, worried.

"If it was, I'm sure Dumbledore would have made a spectacle of it."

OooooO

Daphne rounded the corner. It was the middle of the night and she was sneaking to see Harry in the Greengrass library. He'd been doing his school work and would most likely be finishing soon. She needed to give him a small fright. It was their birthday, after all.

Another turn and she bumped into a small being who she wouldn't have realized was there.

"Dobby?" She asked, watching the small house elf pick himself up.

"Dobby is most sorry, Missy Greengrass. Please let me help you up. There we are." And with that, the elf ran into the wall head first, a loud thunking sound easily echoing in the empty hall. The elf shook his head and ran again, this time with Daphne catching him mid jump.

"Dobby, what the hell?" She whispered severely.

"Dobby hurt a witch. He must bleed in return." The elf sobbed, trying to swing his head into the wall.

"Dobby, I'm fine. You didn't hurt me." She reassured. The elf looked at her, seeing worry in her eyes. He went limp and Daphne gingerly set him down. A few sniffles and he got up. "Why are you here?"

"Dobby came to warn Harry Potter about the bad masters." The elf squeaked, looking apologetic. Daphne paled.

"Did you tell him already?" She asked. Dobby nodded.

"Harry Potter was informed to not return to Hogwarts." Dobby squeaked. "Dobby told him that he had tried warning him earlier."

"Did you tell him you warned me?" Daphne asked worriedly.

"He warned you?" Came a surprised voice.

Daphne looked down the hall to see Harry standing there, wand in hand. The thunk of Dobby ramming his head into the wall alerted him. And now he'd heard Daphne say she hadn't warned him he was in danger.

"Harry. He didn't- I mean, I…" Daphne stuttered, not sure what to say.

"I thought we didn't keep secrets." Harry said quietly. He had never known Daphne to keep anything from him. He never did from her.

"I just didn't know how to tell you." She said quietly.

Both of them looked almost pained from the upset.

"Happy birthday." Harry said coolly, walking past her. Daphne froze.

She was aware that they were cold to others, people they didn't trust. The only people who saw more than their cold façade were family and the few they called friends. But never had they been on the receiving end of the cold treatment.

A small sob escaped Daphne as she headed to her room. This was, without a doubt, the worst birthday ever.

OooooO

The morning of the thirty first was a curious affair. Victoria frowned as Daphne took her usual place at the table, but Harry sat down across and some spaces away.

"Harry dear, is something the matter?" Victoria asked.

"Nothing at all." Harry replied simply, waiting for Zeri to bring his meal.

Daphne booked down at her empty plate, Harry looked boredly way, clear away from the blonde girl he'd been loath to be away from. Cyrus walked in, smiling broadly.

"Happy birthday, you two!" He cheered, not realizing the atmosphere of the room.

"Happy birthday" they replied monotonous. Cyrus frowned.

"Do either of you care to tell me what's wrong?" He asked. After a moment of silence, he turned. "Harry. What's going on."

"What? Why me?" He replied, looking somewhat surprised.

"Because you're sitting pretty much as far away from Daphne as you can manage." He responded simply.

"I'm just… upset with her." Harry said slowly. He didn't want to tell them about the warning of a possible threat on his life. Not so soon after telling them about Voldemort.

"And why is that?" Victoria asked, worriedly. She'd never known them to disagree. Usually it was talked about and decided together.

"She didn't tell me… she kept something from me." Harry said. The undercurrent of anger was well felt and understood by Daphne. In her defense, it hadn't been for no reason. She wanted to make sure it wasn't a false threat to keep Harry away from school.

"Daphne?" Cyrus asked. "Any comment to make?"

Daphne shook her head. With a sigh, Cyrus took his usual spot at the table next to Victoria, who was staring intensely at Harry. The boy looked away, but he was stealing occasional glances at Daphne. His daughter, on the other hand… she looked oddly pale. Well, more pale.

"Daph, are you feeling well?" He asked. She nodded, somewhat confused.

"Yes, why do you ask?" She questioned, frowning slightly.

"You look pale, dear." Cyrus answered, looking her over.

"Father, unless something has happened, I am pale." She replied curtly. Harry snickered and she smiled slightly at that.

Almost imperceptibly, she gained some more of her natural color. Cyrus frowned. Maybe it was the light?

Either way, he knew something was off. And that worried him deeply.

OooooO

 _No._

That was the thought coursing through Daphne's mind.

 _I will not be afraid of this. Harry is my friend. And I know that means a lot to him._

With that, she mustered the courage to push his door open, making the boy at the desk turn around. There was a long silence, Harry not sure how to react to Daphne's approach. He figured she'd react in kind, as much as he knew it'd hurt.

"What?" He asked, frowning at how utterly redundant it sounded. Daphne raised an eyebrow.

"I came to talk." She replied shortly. Harry's frowned deepened.

"I can see that." He replied, being cut off by Daphne.

"Are you sure? I could talk slower, if it helps." She snarked.

"There's no need." He huffed, slightly reddened by his own like of wit.

"Harry, I understand I upset you, and I'm sorry. But seriously, a strange house elf shows up and you'll believe what it says?" She stated, pointing out the obvious flaw in Harry's slight. He opened his mouth to reply, realizing that it made sense.

"I- What I mean is- ugh. Daphne, regardless, you could have told me." He said, looking downwards somewhat.

"I know, but to be fair, I hadn't really been aware that long." Daphne admitted. Harry frowned.

"From the way you spoke, I assumed you knew Dobby for some time." He said. Daphne shook her head.

"The elf leaves a very thorough impression." Daphne said, frowning. Harry nodded. What could he say? An elf that comes to warn you out of the blue would do the trick. A grime covered one with what seems to be blood smears on its tunic helps that impression go a long way.

"I uh… I think I overreacted somewhat." Harry said abashed. He looked away, expecting Daphne to gloat.

"Thank you." Was all she said. He looked up and saw her smiling softly. He eagerly returned the smile.

"So." She said, clearing her throat, "What are you working on?"

"I'm almost done with Snape's assignment." Harry said, showing his work. There were several versions on the desk, in various states. Daphne understood. Snape's work was to be exact. Do too much, points off. Do too little, points of and detention. Your writing could not be too large or spaced apart too much. But all of these looked to fit what the teacher wanted.

"Why is there so many copies?" She asked, reading one of the rejected ones.

"I hadn't found the right way to condense it all. I feel like I was blabbering too much on the spiders, then on the venom, then on the bezoars." Harry explained, taking the one Daphne was reading. "This one was too focused on the effects of the venom."

"And this one is right?" She asked, looking over his current assignment. Harry nodded.

"It summarizes the general ideas, keeping a clear focus on each aspect and its importance." He explained, handing it to her.

"That's very well done, Harry. Did you check your spelling?" She asked

"Oh, bloody hell."

OooooO

 **Hey guys, Vaine here. I wanted to do a quick note. Firstly, this will be the last chapter to have an author's note. I wanted to make some things clear very quickly. This is a Harry/Daphne pairing, but in the long run. That doesn't mean it'll be their only relations, or that their other relations will be bad or unhealthy. (Though some will.) They're teenagers and as we all know, things happen. Any questions you want to ask, my inbox is and will be opened to you guys for me to respond directly. If you'd like for me to respond to a review, please let me know and I will message you.**

 **And with that, please enjoy what lies ahead.**

 **-Vaine**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Incompetence and Agony**

Hedwig was pecking at the windows when Daphne woke up. She grinned, seeing the snowy owl there. Not only did she get her Hogwarts letter first, she was born first.

 _I always win._ Daphne thought with a smirk. A quick yawn as she got up and opened the window was followed by the owl flying in and landing on her perch, shaking her body as she did. She held her leg out and expectantly watched Daphne approach and untie the letters.

"Good girl, Hedwig." Daphne cooed softly, gently scratching the bird. By her small sounds, Daphne knew Hedwig enjoyed it. The owl watched as Daphne opened the letters, a little ruffled that the girl was opening the wrong letter. She quietly read the letters and frowned.

The girl walked out of the room and walked to Harry's, reading his letter to see if they matched, which unfortunately, they did.

"Hey, Harry, take a look at this." She said, walking into his room.

"Daphne, what the hell?!" Harry exclaimed, pulling his unworn trousers to cover himself.

Daphne blushed and stared, realizing his hair was wet. Harry had just bathed.

"I am so sorry!" She yelped, unsure what to do.

"Daphne turn around!" Harry yelled, blushing brightly. Daphne nodded and turned, hearing clothes being hastily put on. There were a few mutterings of "damns" and "hells", but Daphne's mind was racing. _I can't believe I saw Harry… not dressed!_ She thought, her mind not finding the right words. A laugh behind her made her confused.

"What? What's so funny?" She asked, staring at the wood grain.

"You can turn around." Harry said with a chuckle. Daphne turned, eyeing the boy as he chuckled a bit more.

"Well?" She demanded.

"I'm just surprised. We're both rather intrusive with the other, I'm shocked it hasn't happened before." Harry said, pointing out how little boundaries they had. Though she wouldn't admit it, she was glad she walked in rather than the other way around. She'd be more angry than embarrassed. She simply nodded, understanding his point.

"Here, our Hogwarts letters arrived today." She said, remembering why she walked in. Harry took the letter and read over it, frowning.

"Is this right?" He asked, looking suspiciously at the letter. "This isn't right."

"Mine says the same. I checked." Daphne said, handing him her letter.

"These don't sound like books for Defense Against the Dark Arts." Harry stated, receiving a nod from Daphne.

"Who is this author? I've never heard of him." Daphne asked, looking at the book list. Harry nodded this time.

"Yeah. Who the hell is Gilderoy Lockhart?"

OooooO

Draco was in a terrible mood. He hurt from head to toe, and he was sure he looked as bad as he felt. After his failed attempt at dueling Blaise Zabini, his father had been… upset. From the moment they had returned to school, he had to finish his school work early and begin a rather harsh training regiment. Dueling classes and a mix of physical exercises meant to increase his endurance and reaction times were taking almost all of his daily time.

If he wasn't working out or studying dueling stances, movements, and flow, he was learning new spells, some for light duels, others to end confrontation quickly. He engaged in mock duels with his father, whom until this point, had never quite disliked so much. Their earlier practice had ended in another loss for him, and his father berated him for it.

" _Sorry I can't just trump one of the Dark Lord's lieutenants, father." Draco spat angrily, spitting a small mouth of blood to the floor._

" _Don't you dare use that as an excuse for Incompetence. You are my son and heir, as you are your mother's. Your skill has been bred into you, so use it." His father responded coldly, sweeping his wand to repair the room._

A few more hours of that and he was done. A shower later and he was heading downstairs for supper. _Can't wait for father to insult me some more._ He thought bitterly.

"Cissy, you should have seen him." Lucius' voice came from the dining room. Draco stopped, listening.

"How was he, darling?" his mother asked, a very happy chirp in her voice. Draco was confused.

 _Who are they talking about?_ He wondered.

"His dueling is coming along quickly and very effectively." The Malfoy patriarch said, the pride in his voice made Draco freeze. "I had to play big bad, but he almost had me. He's quick, accurate, and darling, his strength. My boy will make us proud."

"I'm glad, Luc." His mother said. Draco could picture her smile. "I'm not happy with the bruises he's got, but I'm definitely glad he's improving so quickly."

"He's a natural." Lucius said smugly. "He is a Malfoy, after all."

Draco was quiet, his emotions bouncing. He bad been feeling utterly hurt. But this? This was great news, in a sense. After weeks of abuse, it was bittersweet at best to know he was close to besting his father. He knew until he won, and maybe even after, the training wouldn't stop. But now that he knew…

With a sigh, Draco took some steps back and walked louder to the room. He walked in and his parents were quiet.

"Draco, about your performance today, a failure is not, and will not be acceptable." His father began.

Inside, he smiled. Draco knew better now.

OooooO

"Harry, we're going to be late." Daphne called. She was fastening her traveling cloak, looking up the stairwell. "Where are you, prat?"

"Who are you calling a prat?" came a voice from her side. She yelped and jumped away, scared at the sudden disembodied voice. Harry laughing instantly let her know where he was.

"How long have you been there hidden?" She demanded, swatting at where his voice came from. His head popped from his invisibility cloak a few steps away.

"A good while, actually." Harry stated with a grin. Daphne glared.

"I've been waiting." She grumbled.

"That's why it was so funny." He said. Daphne rolled her eyes.

"Grand. Tracey and those Weasley boys are rubbing off on you." Daphne deadpanned.

"And why is that a bad thing, exactly?" Said a voice from the doorway. Turning, they saw their friend, Tracey Davis smirking.

"Oh, Merlin's left… you too?" Daphne asked, slightly annoyed. She'd been hoping to do this alone with Harry, since Cyrus was busy and Victoria wouldn't be able to accompany them to Diagon Alley. Tracey nodded.

"And we better hurry. You know Blaise hates waiting." Tracey said. Harry nodded and flipped off his cloak in a showy, sweeping fashion.

"What exactly was the showing off for? Excited to see me, Harry?" Tracey giggled. Her giggling turned to full laughter seeing Harry getting flustered.

"Can we just go?" Daphne demanded, annoyed with Tracey's flirting. Harry and Tracey stared, a little surprised by her attitude.

"What's crawled up-" Tracey began, being cut off by Harry.

"Best to just get going." Harry said, eyeing Daphne. Something was definitely off about his friend lately.

"Fine. How are we getting there?" Tracey asked with a frown.

"Floo Powder." Harry said simply, walking quickly to catch up to Daphne, who stormed off. Tracey followed, huffing and muttering about bad attitudes.

"I'll go first." Daphne said plainly, grabbing a pinch of sparkling powder from the ceramic bowl next to the lit fireplace. Harry nodded.

"Diagonally!" She called angrily, walking into the swirling green fires of the floo network.

"Harry?"

"Yes, she did say it wrong."

"Oh."

OooooO

Noises and images flashed around Daphne. She hated floo travel and this certainly did not help at all. She felt dizzy and wanted to close her almost shut eyes. A sudden impact knocked her out of the floo and she fell forward into an ungraceful, sooty mess. She stood up shaking, coughing softly and wiping the muck off of herself.

A quick survey of the room showed she was alone. _But where exactly am I_? She wondered, eyeing the shop. This was definitely a magical store, but twelve years and definitely not a magical store she recognized. The street outside the dirty windows was definitely not that of Diagon Alley. She looked around the shop, feeling uneasy.

A glass case held a withered old hand on a velvet cushion, various necklaces and other fine jewelry was on some kind of moving, head-shaped stand whose faces were covered by twisted, wicked looking masks. Jagged metal ends in various states of cleanliness to falling apart with rust lined the masks and showcases. What scared her worst of all were the human bones that lined counters, all inscribed with various runes and figures.

This was definitely not a place she'd find any of her Hogwarts items.

Daphne looked at the main counter and saw a closed door behind it.

"The shop keeper must be back there…" Daphne muttered to herself, staying low. She didn't want to draw attention to herself. Quickly and quietly, she made her way to the exit, freezing when she realized that she knew some of the people outside.

Draco Malfoy and his father were heading towards her. If she left now, she'd be seen. She didn't feel like being caught somewhere she didn't know, much less by a Malfoy. Daphne backed away from the door slightly, carefully heading to an area with more cover as the blond wizards drew closer. _Oh, hell. They're coming here!_ Daphne realized, looking for a place to hide. She didn't want to touch anything, but a cabinet to the side seemed the only option. She quickly opened the door and climbed inside, closing the door behind her as the shop door's bell rung.

Daphne peered through the door crack, watching Lucius Malfoy walk easily through the shop. With a bored expression, he browsed several items on the shelves, lazily tapping the bell on the counter after a moment.

"Don't touch anything, Draco." Lucius said. Draco stopped mid reach out to a case of glass eyes.

"I thought I was getting a present." Draco said quietly, eyeing the items in the shop.

"I said I'd get you a broom." Lucius replied curtly, watching the back door carefully.

"Why would I need a broom if I'm not on the team?" Draco said annoyed. "Potter got a brand new broom, special permission from the Head of House and Headmaster to play as a first year. Simply because he's 'Harry Potter'. Prat, being so famous for having a little cut."

"So you keep saying. And I must remind you how imprudent it is to appear so much less than fond of the boy who is considered a hero for making the Dark Lord vanish." Lucius said, giving his son a look to get his silence.

"I guess." Draco said simply, looking around at other items.

"Ah, mister Borgin." Lucius greeted, seeing a tall, slightly hunched man appearing from the counter. The newcomer pushed this greasy hair back, smoothing it back.

"So that's where I am…Borgin and Burkes." Daphne muttered to herself, recognizing the name from one of her Father's conversations. If she remembered correctly, the side alley connected to Diagon Alley some ways down, a place called Knockturn Alley.

"Mister Lucius Malfoy." The shopkeeper said in a sickeningly oily voice that matched him to a disconcerting degree. "A pleasure as always to see the Malfoy Patriarch and his Heir. How may I help you today? We have new items in Stock at reasonable pricing for a man of your tastes and-"

"I'm selling today, Mister Borgin." Said the elder Malfoy. He drew a small scroll of parchment from his cloak, watching as Borgin pursed his lips with slight annoyance.

"What are we selling today?" He asked, his smile somewhat returning.

"As you have no doubt heard, the Ministry has increased its raids." Lucius said, handing the scroll to the shady shopkeeper, who nodded as he opened the scroll, reading over the list. "I have some… call it merchandise, for you, that might be an issue for me if the Ministry decided to drop by."

"Surely, sir, the Ministry wouldn't bother you." Borgin said, drawing a pair of glasses as he looked over the list. Lucius smiled ever so slightly.

"the Malfoy name still carries respect. I have yet to be visited, but with the Ministry getting more meddlesome, preparation never hurt. There's even word of a new muggle act. No doubt that's Weasley's work, the filthy blood traitor." Lucius see the difference, calming himself with a small pause. "And as you can see, certain of these items would make it seem…"

"Of course, Mister Malfoy. I understand." Borgin assured. "Now let's see."

"Wicked. Father, can I have this?" Draco exclaimed, looking over the withered hand in the cushion.

"Ah, the Hand of Glory." Borgin said, preparing to make a sale. "Insert a candle into the palm and it gives light only to the holder. No matter what darkness you may be in, a fine tool for thieves and plunderers!"

"I do hope, Draco, that you amount to far more than a mere thief or plunderer." Lucius said coldly.

"I didn't mean any offence, sir. I-" Borgin said quickly, knowing how fast he'd disappear if a Malfoy felt slighted.

"Though, if he doesn't pick up the pace with his education, that may be all he'll amount to." Lucius said.

"Hey, it's not my fault. Teachers pick favorites, and between Greengrass and Granger-" Draco tried.

"Between a second-rate girl and a mudblood? I thought you'd be ashamed to admit how easily bested you were in every exam." Lucius snapped. In the cabinet, Daphne grinned at knowing she embarrassed Draco to his family.

"It's a damned shame. Spreading like a sickness. Pure Wizarding blood counting for less these days." Borgin said in his sickening voice.

"Not with me." Lucius said angrily.

"Nor with me, sir." Borgin said with a gross smile.

"I am in a hurry, so if we can return to the list." Lucius said after a moment. With a nod, Borgin began naming prices, earning a quick disagreement from the blond man, who quickly began haggling.

Daphne watched with worry as Draco wandered the shop, eyeing things with curiosity and disgust. He stopped at a necklace in a glass display, reading the card with a smirk. He walked for a moment and spotted the cabinet. He walked to it and reached for the door, pulling at the handle for less than a second before his father interrupted.

"I said not to touch anything. We're done here." Lucius barked, Draco turned and nodded quickly, following his father to the door. "I shall see you tomorrow, Mister Borgin, to pick up the items we discussed."

With a nod from the shopkeep and a ringing of the tiny brass bell, Draco and his father left.

"Good day. Prick." Borgin said with a glare. He spit on the floor where the blond man had been. "if the stories are true, there's a lot more than this paltry list at your manor."

Cursing to himself, the man returned behind the door, leaving the shop in absolute silence. After a moment, Daphne opened the door fully and walked out of the cabinet. She needed to leave this Dark Place. She carefully exited the shop, eyeing her surroundings. A broken sign over a shop let her know she was in fact, in Knockturn Alley. With a sigh of relief, she walked, heading towards Diagon Alley.

OooooO

"So, not only did you go to Knockturn without us, you also snuck around the infamous Borgin and Burkes too?" Tracey asked, feigning hurt.

"Not like she had too much of a choice." Blaise Zabini pointed out, sipping his butterbeer. He and Harry sat opposite Tracey and Daphne under the shade at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream parlour.

"Regardless, I'm just glad you're well, Daph." Harry said, frowning slightly at his half eaten cone. Daphne gave a small smile and nodded.

"Anyways, I'm glad we took a moment to catch up, but we do have things to buy." Blaise said, straightening himself out. Everyone agreed and headed out, gathering up the materials they'd need for the upcoming school year.

After a good few hours of shopping, the foursome found their way to Flourish and Blotts. There must have been some kind of event happening, as it seemed that the shop was a lot more filled than usual. A lot more than capacity.

"What's going on here?" Daphne asked, eyeing the overflowing shop.

"'Book signing and autographs, courtesy of the world renowned Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin third class and honorary member of the European Dark Force Defense League.'" Blaise replied, reading a poster that had come into sight from a portly witch moving. A blond wizard smiled and posed, moving around in his own poster.

"The man of the Rougish Smile that will captivate your heart, and Adventure that will ensnare your mind." Harry read with disbelief. "This is the poof whose books we need to get?"

"I _LOVE_ him!" Tracey squealed, rushing the poster. Her friends frowned. "He is so handsome, and in his books you feel like you were almost actually in the middle of the action. It's quite tantalizing."

"You would know this." Daphne sighed, shaking her head. Her friend stuck her tongue out and grinned. "Well, we do need the books."

With that, they walked in, being jostled by the crowd. After some pushing, they wandered around. Thankfully, due to the books being necessary for Hogwarts this year, the four friends quickly gathered their reading material and headed towards the check out counter. Only Tracey kept looking over the crowd to look for Lockhart.

"Will this be all today?" asked a sour looking witch at the counter. She was clearly not happy with the untidy crowd.

"Yes, miss." Blaise responded, looking as unamused as the witch did.

"Is that…? Can it be? Harry Potter?!" A loud voice suddenly exclaimed. The shop grew quiet and the crowd looked around. A man dressed in magnificent plum robes ran towards Harry, pushing his way through the crowd.

"Do I know you, sir?" Harry asked with a frown. The man laughed, leaning on Harry's shoulder, much to his annoyance.

"Do you know me, Harry, you are a crack up!" the man said, wiping his eyes as if he'd actually cried. He turned and addressed the crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen, who knew that when I came to honor this bookstore with my presence, we would also have the honor of Harry Potter, whom no doubt heard about my acceptance of the Defense Against the Dark Arts teaching position at our great school, Hogwarts?"

The crowd ate up this pompous speech, which Harry personally thought made no sense. Someone took his purchased books and Lockhart, with a smile and an "I know you want this signature" wink, signed his name on all of them in some kind of golden ink. After a few more pleasantries- for Lockhart at least- and some unwanted pictures for the Wizarding magazines and papers, Harry managed to get his group away from the commotion.

"I can't believe you have his signature on all your books!" Tracey whined, arms folded jealously.

"Me either. Congratulations on the menopause, Harry." Blaise smirked. The boy chuckled as Harry smacked him on the arm.

"Whatever," Harry huffed, "Tracey, I'll trade you."

"Deal!" Tracey said with a huge smile. She hugged Harry and quickly kissed his cheek, making Daphne frown at her friend. Before she could say anything, Daphne was cut off.

"Must you make a scene and a spectacle everywhere you go, Potter?" A voice sneered. Harry and Daphne turned to see Draco and his father, whom were both descending from the next floor of the bookstore.

"Jealous are we?" Harry shot back, eyeing the blond men before him. His friends snickered and a quick bickering content began. As the children had their row, the elder Malfoy eyed the crowd, looking for the reason he'd come to this overly filled store.

The Weasley family ran around Flourish and Blotts, unaware that Lucius Malfoy was watching them. They were accompanied by two extra girls, one a girl with bushy brown hair, and the other a silky looking platinum blonde. _No doubt these flea bitten rejects are getting their children's school materials from the rejects pile._ The man thought.

He kept careful tabs on the family, watching their movements. That one. One of the girls had separated and eyed some books curiously. Lucius approached, using the crowd to be unseen. _Just my luck_ , Lucius thought with a triumphant grin. The girl had her cauldron with her. As she eyed the "Harry Potter ' Adventures" books (Lucius feigned a gag on realizing this), he carefully slipped the small black object into her potion making things.

 _That's two birds with one stone,_ Lucius thought, watching the family leave the store. If the book made it back to Hogwarts or not, he didn't care. If Arthur Weasley was found with it, he would face serious charges. If it went back to the school… well, he wasn't entirely sure, but he knew it was as the Master had planned.

Unbeknownst to Lucius, a young boy with emerald eyes had seen him drop the book. Whatever he'd witnessed, he would keep an eye on that girl.

OooooO


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Expressly Forbidden**

Daphne felt that summer holiday had come and gone rather quickly. Seeing Blaise and Tracey over the summer really took it out of her, but in a good sense. She never really had friends outside of Harry, so it was nice.

It was very quickly apparent that Tracey was maturing quickly. Considering she was more outspoken and friendly, she felt a bit jealous of her friend. Nonetheless, what really seemed to get to her was her friend flirting with Harry. It seemed innocuous enough, but seeing Harry's reaction hurt. _Why doesn't he react like that to me_? Daphne wondered, watching Harry finish setting everything in his trunk.

Tomorrow, the four friends would ride the Hogwarts Express, and return to the school for what they hoped would be a good year.

"Can we actually make it a whole school year without something bad happening?" Tracey asked, sitting down in the seat next to Harry in the library.

"Merlin, yes, I hope so." Blaise said, smirking at Harry's shrugged response.

"Too many adventures for you, Zabini?" Harry replied, smirking back.

"If you'd like to deal with more deathly situations, that's your deal. I'd rather deal with being bored to death." Blaise retorted, frowning. Everyone agreed, settling into an easy conversation.

As they talked, they remained unaware of something watching them, hidden in the collection of books and objects the large library room had accumulated from generations of Greengrasses.

"Dobby must make sure that Harry Potter does not return to Hogwarts. His life depends on Dobby!" the elf said to himself, trying to see what he could do to stall the boy.

OooooO

The next morning started off with a panic. No one had any idea what happened, and Victoria was wondering if this was someone's idea of a joke. Last night, everyone had left their packed trunks in the entry hall. Now, all four trunks were empty and things were mixed up and all over the house.

"Who did this?" Victoria asked, helping the children and their House Elf, Zeri, recover everything.

"Mum, why would we do this?" Daphne and Harry harmonized, frantically getting their clothes together.

"Who else would have?" She asked with a frown. No one had a response. After an hour or so, they'd gotten everything together, Victoria keeping an eye on their luggage while the four friends hurriedly got ready to leave.

They took the hand of the Greengrass matriarch, who with a quick sweep of her wand, sent their things to the trains' baggage check.

"Hold on, everyone." Victoria warned. Everyone grabbed on tightly as they were apparated away, landing in a crowded room in Kings Cross station.

"Please, have a good year. Write to me every chance you get." Victoria said, smiling at her children, bidding them farewell. A quick kiss on each cheek and they were on their way, looking for the division spot for platform 9 3/4s.

"I'll go first." Daphne said, smiling at her friends. She walked through, followed quickly by Blaise.

"I know I don't usually ask, but is everything well?" Zabini asked, looking at Daphne curiously.

"What do you mean?" Daphne asked, confused.

"Well, you seem... I dunno, short." He tried.

"I just haven't hit my growth spurt." She said quickly. Too quickly. Blaise smirked and she sighed.

"So, tell me what's wrong." Zabini said.

"You promise not to tell?" She asked with a frown. Blaise nodded. "Uh huh. You're gonna have to make a wizard's oath."

"A… what? Is it that serious?" Blaise asked incredulously, his usual swagger replaced by how off guard the request caught him.

"Do you want to know or not?" Daphne asked, eyeing the Italian boy. He nodded and stuck out his wand.

"I, Blaise Giovanni Zabini, swear upon my magic not to reveal anything that Daphne Victoria Greengrass discloses to me in any way, shape, or form." Blaise said lazily, trying to ignore the flash of light that came from his wand.

"Harry and I are soul bond." Daphne said flatly.

"Oh, oh bloody… Damn." Blaise tried, flustered. What exactly was he supposed to respond to that?

"Yeah, I found out about it during Christmas break. It cleared up some things but it's made other things a lot more complicated." Daphne admitted.

"Complicated what things?" Zabini asked, walking with her to the train.

"Well, Harry doesn't know, for starters." Daphne said.

"Potter doesn't know?" Blaise asked with surprise. "How not?"

"My parents wanted me to tell him." She explained, receiving a nod from the boy. "But I haven't worked out how exactly you tell someone that you're bound to be together or else."

"That certainly is complicated." Blaise said. "I'm not entirely sure what I expected, but this was definitely not it."

"Yeah. And with Tracey getting all flirty with Harry…" Daphne said, trailing off. Blaise nodded, understanding.

"Wait... But then why isn't Potter all head over heels for you?" The boy asked.

"Well, since Harry doesn't know, he hasn't accepted it." Daphne explained. "The soul bond doesn't create feelings. Harry has to like me and then accept the bond."

"Greengrass likes Potter." Blaise teased with a smirk. Daphne smacked him. "Prat. I was teasing. But that makes sense. So what happens if Potter never accepts the soul binding?"

"It would slowly hurt my magic, but not drastically. If he rejected it, however, it would hurt us both. It would sap our magic and well…" Daphne said, leaving the obvious end to sound ambiguous.

"Damn." Blaise said simply. What else could you say when you find out that your friends could perish if their relationship didn't work out. "But uh… hey. Speaking of friends, where the hell are Harry and Tracey?"

OooooO

Harry watched Blaise hurry in after Daphne.

"Ooh, I wonder what that's about." Tracey insinuated. Harry rolled his eyes.

"Dunno, but let's-" He began, when suddenly a pair of hands found themselves on his shoulders.

"Well, lookie here." Said the voice on the right.

"If it isn't Harrykins." Said the one on the left.

Harry spun around to see the grinning faces of Fred and George Weasley. They were accompanied by a large group of red headed people, and two who weren't.

"Boys. Who are these two?" asked a man, whom Harry realized was their father.

"Harry Potter, sir." The boy said, introducing himself. "And my friend, Tracey Davis."

The man stood quietly for a moment, realizing that this boy was the Wizarding world's savior, but also a Slytherin. His twin boys seemed oddly comfortable around them.

"Hermione, good to see you again." Harry greeted the girl with the messy hair. She smiled politely back.

"Harry, Tracey." Hermione replied with a small nod. They remained mostly ignored by Ron and Percy, which was fine by the Slytherins.

"This is our father." Said Fred.

"Arthur Weasley." Finished George.

"Nice to meet you, Mister Potter and Miss David." Arthur said with a small smile.

"And these two" George said, signaling at the two other girls with them.

"Are Ginny, our sister." Fred said.

"And her friend Luna Lovegood." George finished, introducing the final girl.

The red haired girl smiled and looked away, blushing ever so slightly.

"Hello, Harry Potter." The small blonde girl said dreamily. He wasn't entirely sure why, but she seemed to stare at him expectantly. Maybe it was her odd appearance.

"Boys, the time. Hurry up, let me and your mother know when you're at school." Arthur said. He gathered his family in a quick hug with much protest, and let go, waving and walking off to work.

"See you inside." The twins said in perfect harmony, walking through with their things.

"Potter. Davis." Percy said, excusing himself. He followed through with his trunk.

"See you at school, Harry." Hermione said, pushing a protesting Ron with their things. Ginny followed them quickly, almost tripping through the barrier.

"Nice to meet you, Harry." Luna said with an awkward smile. She hugged Harry, much to his surprise, and walked to the barrier. "My, so little wrackspurts today. Interesting."

After a moment of the odd girl being gone, Harry chuckled.

"She is definitely an odd one." Harry said with a smile.

"That's an understatement." Tracey chortled. She liked the weird girl.

"Luna… that's the girl from the store." Harry said, his smile falling. Tracey stared.

"The one Malfoy…?" She questioned. Harry nodded. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"I don't know her. I don't know what Lucius gave her. I can't just walk up to someone and say 'hey, you've got something dangerous on you.' I would come off as some kind of nutter." Harry said. Tracey reluctantly agreed.

"Well, we better hurry. The train finishes loading up soon." Tracey said. She took Harry's hand and walked to the barrier and smacked her face into it

"Funny. Now hurry up." Harry said, rolling his eyes.

"I can't." Tracey said, scrambling all over the divider between them and the school train.

"What do you mean you can't?" Harry asked.

"Harry, the wall is a wall." Tracey panicked.

"Oh." He said simply.

This was not a good thing.

OooooO

Victoria was barely getting home. She looked at the clock, seeing the time.

"Five minutes until the train leaves." She said to herself, smiling softly. She would miss her babies.

As she walked past the living room, she noticed a book on the table. She instantly recognized it as Daphne's, by the initials written on the fringe of the cover. She looked back at the clock and sighed. Two minutes left. She wouldn't have time to make it, but she'd try. She smiled to herself, realizing how dramatic it would look. With that, she apparated away, trying to beat the clock.

A second landing at Kings Cross and she took off in a brisk walk. She didn't want to attract too much attention from the muggles. She recognized a few wizards and witches and arrived at the barrier, where Harry and Tracey were, patting the wall down.

"Harry?" Victoria asked, wondering why her boy was not already on the train.

"M-mum." Harry stammered, looking embarrassed.

"What is the meaning of this?" She asked the two of them.

"Mrs. Greengrass. The barrier. It's just a wall." Tracey said, slapping the wall. Victoria frowned.

"That's not possible; the barrier never closes." Victoria said. She put a hand to the wall, feeling the solid brickwork. "How?" She wondered.

"What do we do?" Harry asked, worriedly. A loud, but unseen whistle was heard in the distance. The train was leaving the station, minus two students.

"I'll write a letter to the school and explain your tardiness." Victoria said, smiling at the two friends.

"But how do we get to the train?" Tracey asked.

"I'm not entirely sure you can anymore." Victoria said. "Let's get home and we'll see if we can figure it out."

With defeated sighs, Harry and Tracey walked behind Victoria, heading home.

"Tracey, you're holding my hand." Harry grumbled.

"Uh, you're holding mine." She replied.

"Oh, sorry." He said, letting go. "There's a lot on my mind."

"It's okay Harry." Tracey said, feeling down as well. "Snape's gonna have our heads for this."

"Zeri?" Victoria called once they reached the wizard arrival and departure platform.

"Yes, Missy Greengrass?" the house elf asked, appearing with a pop.

"I need you to take this this to Cyrus." Victoria requested, using her wand to write a quick letter to her husband.

"That's it!" Tracey cried. "Zeri, can you take us to the Hogwarts express?"

Harry remembered that that's how Blaise had met them last Christmas.

"Of course, I forgot!" Harry said, smacking his forehead. Victoria frowned.

"You can't apparate to the train; it's warded." Victoria said.

"House elves can, Blaise had his elf do it." Harry said with a smile.

"Zeri can try, sir." The elf squeaked dutifully. He took the letter from Victoria and grabbed onto Harry and Daphne before disappearing.

"But…" Victoria tried. She sighed and quickly headed home. This would not end well.

OooooO

Harry fell over, tumbling across the country side for a few feet. Off to the side, Tracey found herself in the same situation. They'd been popping up all over the country for a good while at this point. The sun was beginning to set, and the train was heard chugging along in the distance.

"Ugh. What gives?" She griped, getting to her feet.

"I'm not sure." Harry said, frowning at his glasses. The left rim had broken and the lens was somewhere around.

"The glasses is here, Master Potter." Zeri said, huffing with exhaustion.

"I'm sorry, Zeri." Harry said, taking his lens. "I didn't mean to ask too much of you.

"It shouldn't be too much for Zeri." The elf squeaked tiredly. "Something is keeping Zeri from getting to the trains."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked the elf.

"Something isn't letting Zeri get to the train. I keeps following but I can't lands." He squeaked sadly. He began smacking his face into the grassy hillside. "I let master down! Zeri is sorry!"

"Zeri, it's okay." Harry said, gripping the elf by the waist while he threw his fit. Zeri quickly calmed down and stood up.

"Since Zeri can't get us to the train, why don't we just go directly to Hogwarts?" Tracey asked, watching the boy try to get his lens back into his broken glasses.

"Zeri can't bring people into the castle grounds, Missy." Zeri explained. "The magic let's elves in, but not peoples."

"Damn. Well, what can we do?" Tracey asked, throwing direct options out.

"Good question. Maybe we can go to the Hogsmeade station?" Harry asked. Zeri smiled and nodded.

"Zeri will try!" the elf squeaked. He held out his hands, which Harry and Tracey took.

Suddenly, there was that uncomfortable feeling of being squeezed that came with apparition. A quick pull launched him out of the familiar feeling and Harry felt himself flying through the air. He flew and landed upright, but from the momentum, tripped over a massive root of a tree. With a yelp, he pitched forward, rolling just downhill from a singular tree.

With a groan, Harry got up and looked up. He put what remained of his glasses on half his face, trying to get his bearings. He saw a towering structure close by and realized they were in the Hogwarts grounds.

"Tracey! We made it!" Harry said. He looked around and realized his friend was not on the ground. "Tracey"

A small groan made him look up, and he realized his friend was caught in the tree in a rather compromising position.

"Tracey, wake up." Harry called, trying to find a way up the tree. As he approached, he heard a series of creaking and cracking sounds, and felt something solid collide with his midsection. Harry flew back down the hill and landed with a painful roll. A few more loud sounds and Harry heard a shriek of fear from Tracey.

With a groan, Harry got up and watched in a mix of awe and terror as the massive tree began swinging around, Tracey holding on to a swinging branch for dear life. This was the tree they'd been told by the older students to avoid: The Whomping Willow.

With as much half blind dexterity as he could manage, Harry jumped past and around several branches, trying to close in on Tracey, who had at this point flown off one branch and onto another.

"Help me!" She called, dizzy.

"I'm trying!" Harry yelled, smaller branches hitting him all over like a swarm of angry hippogriff riding crops. "Let go when you're swinging at me! I'll try to catch you!"

Harry realized how half cocked the whole plan sounded, but he was desperate, and panicking. He avoided a few more of the sizable branches and readied to catch his spinning friend. With a final shriek, she let go of the branch and slammed into Harry's chest, flinging them both back down the hill. Pacified by the lack of intruders, the tree slowly returned to its neutral posture and was still once more.

Harry and Tracey tumbled down for a moment and ended side by side. With pained groans, they got up and stretched. They were bruised and battered, but definitely whole.

"We need light." Harry said, taking a breath. He drew his wand and quickly shone a light. A small, high eep drew his attention to his friend, who was sitting down.

"Harry. My- my wand." She cried, lifting the wand into the light. At first, Harry didn't notice the issue until he saw a crack running along the wood grain. That wasn't good, but it could definitely be worse.

"We can fix it later." Harry said, trying to assure his friend that things would be well. Judging by the time, there was no way they'd be on time. "I think we're missing the sorting."

They painfully limped their way past the great doors of the castle and into the school. As they approached the Great Hall, they realized they had indeed missed the sorting. Everyone was eating and chatting among themselves. The staff table at the far end had too settled into easy talk.

"Harry? Where's Snape?" Tracey questioned, eyeing the room.

"Yes, where indeed is _Professor_ Snape?" Said a voice behind them. "And perhaps even, he is wondering why two of his students were not only late to the sorting ceremony and fest, but also why they weren't on the train."

The thin, hook nosed man stared impassively at the two tardy Slytherins, before turning, his black cloak billowing as he turned.

"With me." The teacher said as he set off on a brisk walk.

The two friends followed quickly, knowing they were already in enough trouble. They followed quickly to the dungeons, the warmth and merry of the Great Hall slowly fading. He led them to his office, signaling them in. They sat at the two seats across from the desk that clearly belonged to the teacher.

"Care to tell me why, in Merlin's name, the great Harry Potter and his little friend thought they were too good to ride the train like every other student" He asked coldly.

"Sir, the-" Harry tried. Snape held up his hand, calling for silence.

"You two simply thought popping up all over the country would go unnoticed?" He asked angrily. He pulled out a copy of the evening news paper, pointing at the headline. "You were seen."

 _Sudden Appearances Baffle Muggles all over Scottish Highlands_

 _Today, several reports were filed about two people and an elf apparating around the Hogwarts Express track. Several hiking muggles reported seeing what appeared to be a male and female popping up and down the area with what they claimed to be a knobby, mistreated child (later proven to be a house elf). The..._

Snape looked up from the article and stared coldly at the children. Harry maintained his usual blank look he had at school, whereas Tracey looked worried.

"I also happened to notice the disturbance you caused on the school grounds by messing around the Whomping Willow tree and the damage you two did to it." Snape continued.

"The tree hurt us!" Tracey exclaimed, attempting to explain what happened to their head of house.

"Silence!" Snape roared, shocking Tracey into being quiet. "While normally, I would expel you two in a heartbeat, you two had someone actually clear headed looking out for you."

He drew the letter that Victoria had written, which explained that the barrier to platform 9 and 3/4ths had sealed.

"You two simply did not think, but this letter will earn you at least the right to explain your actions. If I deem them inexcusable, you will be gone before the feast ends, do I make myself clear." The Potions master said softly. "The Headmaster will join us briefly.

This was not his choice, as they had been seen by muggles of all people but Professor Dumbledore had asked him to at the very least listen, with himself there, of course.

As Harry began to explain, a simple knock was heard.

"Come in." Snape said calmly. As the Headmaster walked in, Harry felt his stomach drop. Dumbledore liked him, but he knew he'd be just another student at Hogwarts. He was there simply to make sure Snape gave them a fair chance, nothing more.

"Please, explain what happened." Dumbledore said, taking a spot near the doorway. He looked rather unhappy, but they understood, given the situation.

With a sigh, Harry related their story. The barrier not working, and the idea to use Zeri to simply get back on the train, as they'd seen Blaise do it (which Snape hated to admit sounded like an actual idea). Both Snape and Dumbledore frowned when Harry admitted that Zeri couldn't land on the train, claiming something was blocking him and the sudden and painful result of them separating from the elf, which led to their misadventure with the murder tree.

"Head to the feast. You have class in the morning." Snape said coldly. They needn't be told twice, and hurried off to join their friends.

"Whatever could stop a house elf from apparating?" Dumbledore wondered.

"As far as I'm aware, only another elf." Snape replied.

He didn't like this. He hated to acknowledge it, but something definitely tried to keep Potter and Davis out of the school. _No. Davis was just at the wrong place. This was definitely meant for Potter,_ Snape thought.

Harry and Tracey quickly made their way to the common room, changing into their school uniforms and heading back out.

"Harry, your glasses." Tracey said. Harry nodded and used the repairing spell Cyrus had shown him to fix the broken spectacles.

"Better?" Harry asked, fixing his glasses upon his face.

"Other than the bruises, yeah." Tracey joked.

"I'm still sure I look better than you do." Harry replied.

With that, the two friends made their way to the Great Hall, readying for the looks, whispers, and unavoidable questions to come.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: When the Moon and the Sky Meet**

School seemed to put Harry and Daphne back at ease. After some of the more stressful parts of the summer, it was nice to be there with each other, studying, talking, and just enjoying their own company. Oddly enough, it seemed to be Blaise Zabini who seemed mostly put off by this, but for the most part, even he was enjoying his circle of friends going back to normality. It seemed to be going good, maybe too good.

"I can't believe it." Tracey said with a happy sigh. Her friends settled into the leather seats in the Slytherin common room, relaxing after dealing with McGonagall.

"What? That you actually managed to transfigure your desk in one class?" Blaise taunted with a smirk. Tracey frowned and gave him a rude hand gesture which seemed to fuel his smirk.

"No, I mean it's been a whole two weeks and so far, nothing bad has happened!" Tracey said with a smile.

"And now you jinxed it and we're doomed." Blaise said with a frown. "You seriously seem to underestimate Potter's luck. Not to mention Lockhart being a total poof."

"He's just testing us!" Tracey interjected.

"Hey!" Harry exclaimed, wounded by his friends' words, speaking up once he realized Blaise's words towards him.

"Oh. Right, sorry, mate. You underestimate his lack of luck." Blaise said, smirking at his corrections; Harry glared.

"He's not wrong, Harry." Daphne said with an apologetic smile.

"Well, gee thanks, guys! That's very kind of you." Harry said with mock deflation. His friends laughed and continued their conversation, comparing notes on their lessons.

"You know, all that jinx stuff aside, it seems that this might be your year, Harry." Tracey said, frowning at her notes for Snape's latest homework.

"What do you mean?" He asked curiously.

"I mean, you're not exactly new here. The whole "boy who lived" thing is pretty much gone, and the only person with any real reaction to you being here is Malfoy who looks like he ate a particularly bad flavored bean." Tracey explained absently, comparing her notes to Blaise.

"No, "Professor" Lockhart seemed weirdly interested in Potter too." Blaise pointed out.

The new Defense Professor quickly gained a reputation for being rather bumbling and incompetent, but he seemed to have weirdly good luck, as he seemed to clear up whatever situation he started by the end of class.

"That's true, but that's because he wants some kind of firsthand scoop on Voldemort's defeat." Harry said with a small huff; it's not like he could explain how he managed to survive.

"Well, that aside, I still think it's your year." Tracey said, finally looking up from the notes.

"Fine, I'll bite. My year for what?" the boy asked.

"To get a girlfriend." Tracey said with a grin; both Harry and Daphne blushed, but Harry looked slightly more panicked. "Or a boyfriend, I don't judge."

"I- what?" Harry managed, very surprised by Tracey's comment.

"You're not as stand off as others are." Tracey explained. "That's good because it makes you seem approachable and easy to like."

"I dunno, Potter still seems like kind of an arse." Blaise said.

"Prat! You know what I mean." Tracey argued.

"Fine, let's say that's true. Who, oh, who would have a crush on our dear Potter?" Blaise said, smirking at Harry's discomfort.

"I don't know, maybe someone; I need to check the library." Daphne said quickly, worried that Blaise would try to out her feelings.

"Wait, Daphne!" Harry called. He frowned. His friend had gone off through the common room doors. "Now, I've got to see what that was about."

"She said she went to the library." Blaise said with a broad grin.

"We both know that's a load of crap, plus she left her book bag here." Harry replied, garnering a nod from Zabini. "I'll be back."

Harry quickly gathered his things, asking Tracey to put Daphne's things in her room. With that, he left, looking for his friend with a grumble. A quick search of the dungeons revealed his friend was not in the vicinity and went up, looking for her in the common student areas.

Most of the patios were abuzz with activities, students meeting up with friends and other general socializing. The Great Hall had its late afternoon snacks available, with mostly Crabbe and Goyle in the Slytherin area. Still no Daphne, Harry turned to check elsewhere but walked straight into a short blonde.

"Sorry." Harry said coolly.

"It's okay, Harry Potter." Said the girl who was getting back up.

"Oh, Luna." Harry said, surprised. He hadn't seen her since the station, and having missed the sorting, he wasn't very sure of where she'd gone.

"Hello, Harry." The girl said, giving him a small smile. Harry wasn't entirely sure about how he felt towards the girl. Her uniform showed that she was a Ravenclaw, but her odd necklace of butterbeer corks, and the radish earrings were weirdly disconcerting. Her usual dreamy appearance was somewhat blocked by massive white lenses with black swirls.

"Hey… those are some interesting spectacles." Harry commented, eyeing them with confusion.

"Thank you, Harry. Mister Weasley found these in a muggle shop and sent them to me." She said in her almost breathy dreamy tone.

"Why do you need muggle glasses?" Harry asked.

"I don't need them." Luna said, taking off the glasses. She handed them to Harry, who found himself smiling at her almost surprised look. He took them and looked into them, frowning.

"Luna, you can actually see the white and black swirls." Harry said.

"I know! Isn't it amazing?" Luna said, taking them back. She placed them back on her face with a small smile. "It's interesting that muggles wear these to read."

"They do? Why?" He asked; that seemed to make so sense.

"Mister Weasley said that they came from muggle picture books; it makes the words appear." She explained, describing them as Arthur had.

"That... makes sense, I think." Harry said, not knowing a lot about muggle items. "I thought most muggle technology didn't work with magic."

"Most don't, and I think these don't either. I've yet to see my pictures grow words." Luna said.

"Well, maybe they'd work better outside of the castle. According to Hermione, it's the wards of the castle that keep muggle things from working." Harry said, remembering what the bushy haired girl had said.

"Hermione Granger?" Luna asked. Harry nodded. "Ah yes, she's a muggleborn... maybe she would know how to make the glasses work."

"If anyone would, I believe she would." He said.

"I should find her. Thank you, Harry." The girl said with another spaced out smile. Her comment reminded Harry of why he bumped into her.

"Luna, by any chance, have you seen Daphne?" He asked her.

"Is she the girl you were with at the station?" Luna questioned. Harry shook his head. "Then I'm sorry, but I don't know who that is."

 _Damn, the one acquaintance who hasn't met Daph,_ He thought.

"The Slytherin Ice Queen?" He tried. Luna shook her head.

"I'm sorry, Harry, but I will help you find her if you'd like." She offered. Harry smiled and nodded, almost immediately regretting it.

Luna took his hand and started walking in the direction, in which, he'd bumped into her. Harry could feel the gawking and could hear the whispers starting.

 _Isn't that Harry Potter?_

 _Screw that, isn't that Loony Lovegood?_

 _The ditzy first year?_

 _What about Greengrass?_

 _Should've known Potter likes them blonde._

 _No, seriously. I thought he was with that Greengrass girl._

 _The Ice King has gone Loony._

 _Wait til I tell my friends!_

OooooO

Whilst Harry looked for a certain friend of his, said friend had recently come back to the common room, looking very upset.

"Daphne?" asked a concerned Tracey as her friend slumped into the seat next to her.

"What's wrong?" Blaise asked, frowning.

"…And it seems that Potter was seen with that weird Ravenclaw girl." An older girl said, walking into the common room with her friend.

"But were they actually holding hands?" her friend asked.

"I heard they were kissing." The first girl said.

The three friends were quiet for a moment, realizing that Daphne looked a bit sadder with each word.

"Daphne? Are you… do you like Harry?" Tracey asked, emphasizing the word for certainty.

"I think that's a yes." Blaise said, watching for Daphne now look both sad and embarrassed.

"Wait...weird Ravenclaw?" Tracey asked.

"That's what they said…" Daphne said quietly.

"Maybe they mean Loon- err… Luna Lovegood?" Blaise offered.

"I know her!" Tracey gasped.

"You what? Who exactly is this Luna girl?" Daphne asked with distaste. She frowned as Tracey giggled.

"She's nice, weird, though, or rather…eccentric?" Tracey said. She explained their meeting of Luna, and her odd forwardness. Though it didn't exactly make her feel better, Daphne felt somewhat more at ease knowing that Harry didn't exactly have a connection with the girl.

"Well, now he'll just have to deal with the rumors." Daphne said crossly. Inside, she felt nervous, but relieved that her bond mate wasn't seeing someone else.

"I'll go try to find him." Tracey said with a smile. "But I'm not going too far so I don't miss him!"

The short brunette left, searching for their friend who'd become the center of attention once more.

"This soul bond is tricky business." Blaise commented. Daphne sighed and nodded.

"It's almost as if someone said something that jinxed us all." Daphne said with a small smile.

"So close, huh?" Blaise smirked.

"Not like it would have mattered. With Harry's luck, something was bound to happen sooner or later." Daphne acknowledged. Blaise nodded his agreement.

"How long before Tracey comes back, do you reckon?" Blaise asked with a smile.

"Soon, I believe." Daphne said with a small giggled.

"Three…Two…" Blaise counted down.

"Guys, I'm back!" Tracey called, walking back in quickly.

"Damn, so close." Blaise said with a smirk.

"So close to what?" Tracey asked, sitting back in her spot.

"Don't worry about it. So, Harry?" Daphne asked, ignoring Tracey's protests.

"Fine! I heard he was on the upper floors looking for you, so I decided against going all the way up to find him." Tracey said with a frown.

"Lazy." Daphne chided.

"Wait, how the blood soaked hell did you hear where Potter was so quickly?" Blaise asked with a frown

"What do you mean?" Tracey asked innocently.

"I mean you weren't even gone a whole minute." Blaise pointed out. Tracey shrugged.

"Magic." She said with a smirk. Blaise found himself frowning at her comment, but decided not to question it further.

"At least I know where your lover is." She teased. Daphne blushed.

"Tracey, you can't tell him." Daphne said. Tracey giggled.

"Why would I? It's much more exciting to watch you freak out." Tracey said with a wicked grin.

"But-"

"She's not wrong." Blaise said with his own smirk. Daphne sighed and hung her head; this was gonna be a long year.

OooooO

Harry found himself standing with Luna Lovegood atop a rampant in the highest parts of the castle. He sighed, putting his back to the stonework; he'd been searching with for Daphne for a good while with no real results.

"Have you considered that she's returned to your common room?" Luna asked, looking around.

"Yeah, but with the size of this castle, we'd run the risk of heading back and realizing she isn't there at all." Harry said. "Err… what are you looking for?"

Luna was gently swiping at the air, smiling as she did so.

"There's a lot of wrackspurts out here." She explained while swatting around.

"Right...and what exactly are those?" Harry asked.

"They're small invisible creatures." She explained. "They fly into your ears and up your brain and make your thoughts all fuzzy; you can feel them flying about."

Harry frowned slightly. All he felt was the airflow.

"And what can you do if your brain gets… fuzzy." Harry asked lamely, not entirely sure why he continued the topic.

"You think positive thoughts." Luna replied with a smile.

 _That's oddly adorable_. Harry thought.

"And where did you find out about…. Whack sacks?" He asked her.

"Wrackspurts." Luna corrected. "My father taught me about them."

"Your father? Hmm, come to think of it, this is the first time you mentioned him." Harry said off handedly.

Luna's face visibly darkened.

"He's just very busy, so I spend a lot of time with the Weasley family." She said quietly.

"I didn't mean to hit a sore spot about your parents." Harry said.

"Parent. My mother died when I was very young." Luna said with a sad smile.

"I- sorry." He said, unsure of what to respond.

"It's okay, Harry; it was a long time ago. You lost both of yours, if I remember correctly." Luna said. Harry nodded.

"Yeah, that's how I came to live with the Greengrasses." Harry said with a smile.

"You love them, don't you?" Luna asked, looking over the rampart. Harry nodded. "You smile more privately than you do publicly."

"I'm aware." Harry replied with a grin.

"Is there any reason why?" She asked him. Harry shrugged.

"I was raised as a Slytherin. Cyrus, my step father, I guess, explained that appearance matters a lot within the house, and the way we carry ourselves must show we're not someone to be taken lightly." He responded slowly, thinking about how to explain his behavior. Luna nodded slowly.

"I guess that's as good of an explanation as any." Luna said simply. Harry slowly began smiling, laughing before too long.

"You're something else, Luna." Harry said through his laughter. He rather enjoyed the odd girl's way of thought. It was a refreshing and a very different thought process than he was used to.

"Is that good or bad?" Luna asked, still looking out to the grounds.

"Good, I'd say. Why do you ask?" He questioned.

"Most people seem to think I'm annoying, or far too weird to get close to." Luna replied.

"No offense, but I can see why that'd be a first impression." Harry said sheepishly. Luna smiled at him.

"No offense taken." She replied, looking back out to the grounds.

"What are you looking at?" Harry asked,turning to see where the girl was facing. He gasped.

The view was magnificent. The sun was setting, giving the clouds in the sky various red and purple hues, reflecting almost identically off the mirror image of the Black Lake. The endless trees of the Forbidden Forest ran across the hills and slopes, their tops waving gently in the breeze. The stars were becoming more visible, and the sounds of nature punctuated the scene.

"My… it's beautiful." Luna said softly. Harry nodded.

"I think I understand why the ramparts are popular confession spots." Harry said. Luna looked at him questioningly. "An area where you confess your feelings towards someone."

"Oh." Luna said with her usual dreamy smile. "Are you going to confess, Harry Potter?"

"What? N-no, we just happened to stop here!" Harry stammered. Luna giggled and looked back out to the scene.

"I kid, Harry." Luna said with an impish smile. Harry stared at the girl with embarrassment, looking away.

"Err… yeah. It's getting late, we should head back to our common rooms." Harry said.

"Of course, shall we part then, Harry?" Luna asked. Harry nodded. "Very well then."

Luna hugged Harry again; this time, he hugged her back.

OooooO

"Where have you been?" Daphne asked, watching Harry hurry into the common room.

It was pretty dark out, so they knew Harry had been out a while.

"I was looking for you with Luna." Harry said with a frown. "She said there was a good chance you'd have returned by now and I didn't listen on the chance you'd be out elsewhere."

"I walked up a floor and returned using the Weasley Passages." Daphne smirked.

"Damn, I forgot about those." Harry admitted. How had he forgotten that most of the castle was within reach of the handy Weasley Passages, as they'd grown to call them, he wasn't too sure.

"Distracted by your girlfriend?" Blaise teased. He almost regretted it when Daphne tensed up. Almost.

"G-girlfriend? I don't- what?" Harry mumbled out. Blaise smirked, but he knew he'd have to apologize to Daphne later.

"Oh, little Harry." Tracey teased, giggling.

Harry frowned and sat down next to Daphne, who looked rather besides herself. A couple of quick excuses, and both Blaise and Tracey got up and went to their dorm beds. As Daphne tried to get up, Harry grabbed her hand gently, signaling her to stay seated. With a sigh, Daphne sat back down.

"What?" Daphne asked, sullen.

"Are you gonna tell me what's wrong?" Harry asked, inspecting Daphne's expression. Through her indifferent façade, Harry could see she was struggling with something. Her sapphire eyes always gave her away.

"I heard rumors, and I'm deciding what to do about them." Daphne said after a moment. Harry nodded slowly.

"Does this have to do with Blaise's comment about a girlfriend?" He asked her. Daphne tensed slightly at the last word, giving herself away.

"I wouldn't want you to look bad." Daphne said plainly. Harry nodded.

"If it helps, I'm not seeing anyone." Harry tried.

"So the hand holding was just words?" Daphne asked, somewhat hopeful. Harry frowned.

"I held Luna's hand, if that's what you're referring to, but I have also publicly held your hand, and Tracey's. I don't hear any comments about me running a brothel." Harry said grumpily.

"Everyone is saying that you and I are a couple, that you're seeing Tracey behind my back, and now Loony too." Daphne said rashly.

"Loony?" Harry asked quietly.

"Yes, that's what they seem to call your friend." Daphne said.

"Her name is Luna. Not Loony." Harry said in a cold tone.

"Sorry. Just the name I'd heard is all." Daphne said quietly.

"It's fine. Just learned some things about her that made me feel for her, you know?" Harry said.

"Like what?" Daphne asked.

Harry told her about his wild goose chase with the Ravenclaw. Daphne frowned slightly when Harry told her about Luna's confession joke, but when Harry explained her home situation, she understood why Harry felt camaraderie to the younger girl.

A good while had passed, and before they knew it, a few quiet laughs between them and comparing some homework, they realized it was late. They headed to their rooms, letting the nightly rest claim them. Daphne went to bed perturbed. Harry seemed to like Luna rather quickly. Quicker than Blaise or Tracey.

Elsewhere, higher in the castle, a young girl readied for bed as well.

"Look, Loony thinks she actually has a chance." A girl scoffed, pointing out that Luna's night stand book case had a collection of "Harry Potter" books, one of which was currently in her hand. Several girls giggled and laughed rudely, making Luna sigh.

She'd gotten used to the weird stares and the mean whispers. They all came back to her so far. The out loud was somewhat different and new and it bothered her.

"She spent an entire afternoon pulling the poor snake by the hand; she thinks they're an item now." Another girl said, earning more giggles and laughs.

Luna frowned slightly, but continued to read her book. They'd been a gift from Mister Weasley during a trip to Diagon Alley, when he'd gone to introduce her properly to the Wizarding shopping area in London. They were second hand, but Luna still treated them carefully.

She'd read about the daring wizard and his fictional accomplishments. Since getting the series, she'd memorized them, even. She understood why Ginny Weasley seemed to fawn over the boy she'd never met, but now she had met Harry and knowing him in real life gave him more depth and honesty than the books ever had. She really liked the real Harry more than the facsimile he was portrayed as in the story books.

Despite the mean spirited comments some of her dorm mates made, Luna put the book back and smiled. She would ask Harry about the books next time they'd hang out; the thought made her smile. _We are friends_. Luna smiled at the thought, ignoring the questioning looks from her dorm mates.

She reached into her bed and pulled a small black book out, getting a quill from her bag.

 _Dear Tom,_

 _I've finally made friends with Harry Potter, just as you figured I would have. He's so nice to me, which is a good change of pace from how everyone else seems to treat me. He's a lot nicer than the stories would make him seem, which is understandable. He needs to look mean for the rest of the Slytherin house. On a different note, I do hope my father is okay. I've yet to hear from him this first week and it worries me some, but I'm sure he's fine, just busy as always._

Before she could write more, a girl with dark hair took the small book from her.

"Look, Loony has a diary." She said, laughing.

"Give it back!" Luna said, reaching for the book. The girl stepped back and opened the book, frowning.

"What gives? It's blank. Weren't you just writing in this?" The girl asked. Luna stayed silent.

"Margaret, I'm sure she was just pretending. She seems like the kind of nutter to do so." Another girl said.

"Yeah, I guess. Here's your book, freak." Margaret said, tossing the book at Luna. The blonde girl looked on the verge of tears and grabbed the book tightly, laying back in bed without another sound.

A couple of hours later, Luna was awakened by a familiar shaking. Despite the streaks of silent tears from earlier, she smiled. She looked around to make sure everyone else was asleep.

Tom had replied.

OooooO


	6. Chapter 6

***Quick disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.***

 **Chapter 6: Lovecraft and Witch Hearts**

"Oh, damn." Harry said angrily; he was not happy.

The whole week had been one long, unfortunate, run in with Lockhart after another.

It seemed the bumbling Defense teacher was everywhere Harry went. They'd run into him before Herbology, somehow entirely clean and with a very unhappy Professor Sprout in his wake. He had some insane idea that the Whomping Willow incident was inspired by his own "greatness".

He'd run into a first year Gryffindor, Colin Creevey, who wanted a photo of Harry signed. The muggle-born kid idolized Harry, which he found creepy, and he had refused. It wasn't bad enough dealing with Malfoy and his miniature ogres jeering, the entirety of the autograph situation seemed to have drawn Lockhart to him, which he thought was an attempt at publicity, much to his chagrin.

Even his classes had been such catastrophes. It was bad enough having to read the rubbish Lockhart had passed off as textbooks, the teacher kept somehow making situations worse, whether it be pixies or some other diminutive terror. Then the questions, the incessant "Harry, about He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named" and "how does the killing curse feel" and other such nonsense.

Harry was hellbent on escaping from the immediate vicinity any time Lockhart seemed to coming down the same corridor, but avoiding Creevey was even more difficult, as his brand new fan boy seemed to have already memorized Harry's schedule.

Then there was the growing annoyance with Tracey's wand. The spellotape did not want to adhere to her wand and it kept making her spells act erratically, making the crack bigger and more noticeable.

"Dammit." Harry said again. He'd been woken up rather roughly by Flint.

"Come on, Potter! You need to defend yourself." He said with a crass smile.

"From what? Being woken up on weekends?" Harry retorted with a frown.

"We have someone trying to be our new seeker. He even made some… interesting donations." Flint said.

With a sigh, Harry got up, changed into his green and silver sports robes, and headed to the quidditch field with his broom in tow. Harry smiled slightly; quidditch always helped make things better, despite how tiring practice was.

"Harry!", called an annoyingly familiar voice. Harry groaned and dealt with Colin once more, who Harry was sure was actually his new stalker. Several questions and explanations later, Harry had finally made his way to the pitch and therein was a new problem: Draco Malfoy.

The blond boy was smirking there, talking to the team. Not only that, but it seemed every other player had a new broom.

 _That must be his 'donation'._ Harry thought with a frown.

"Potter." Flint said with a smirk.

"Flint." Harry replied, nodding his greeting.

"As you see, Mister Lucius Malfoy has donated a fair amount towards the team today. So, if you want to keep your seeker position, you're gonna have to best Malfoy." Flint said with a look that told Harry he wasn't sure if he wanted him to win or not.

"So what exactly do I need to do?" Harry asked coolly.

"You've got to get the snitch before I do." Draco said confidently. He opened his hand and let the tiny winged ball fly into the air, and it quickly vanished from view.

"The new brooms Draco's father got us are Nimbus Two-Thousand Ones. They considerably outclassed the old two thousand series." Flint said, letting Harry know exactly what he was up against. Harry sighed and nodded.

"What the hell is that clicking sound?" asked one of the chasers.

"What's what, Montague?" Flint asked the boy.

"That...that clicking sound." Said Graham Montague.

"That's the little lion over in the stands." The other chaser, Adrian Pucey said, pointing at the boy clicking incessantly with his camera.

"Should I clear him out?" asked Arin, one of the Beaters.

"Is that Potter's fan boy?" Draco asked with a smirk. The rest of the team chuckled and looked at Harry, who kept a neutral expression towards them.

"Get him out of here." Flint barked. Arin nodded and walked off to handle the boy.

"Look, Potter. The rest of your fan club is here." Draco smirked, seeing Blaise and Tracey walking towards the team. Daphne had taken a seat in the stands and watched on curiously.

"What's going on?" Blaise asked, eyeing the brooms.

"Gonna beat Malfoy to keep Seeker." Harry responded, sounding bored. Blaise smirked.

"Nice new brooms, shame someone's won't be used properly." Blaise said.

"What are you getting at?" Draco asked with narrowed eyes.

"Doesn't matter how fast you go, we already know Potter's better." Blaise responded, his smirk growing at the cheers and jeers of the rest of the team. Tracey laughed.

"He got you good, Malfoy." She giggled.

"No one asked you, filthy halfling. Can't believe your blood traitor father miscegenated with a dirty mudblood." Draco spat angrily.

Some of the members cheered and taunted, but otherwise it got dead silent. The wind seemed to have increased in volume vastly.

"How dare you?" Came Tracey's voice quietly.

"Tracey, D-" Blaise tried.

"Shut up!" She screeched and eyed Malfoy dangerously. "How. Dare. You?"

Draco looked slightly nervous, but glared back at the girl regardless.

"You heard me." The blond boy said, trying to sound like he was in command of the situation he created.

"You're gonna pay!" She shouted, whipping her wand out. Draco had his out almost as quick.

Tracey blasted forward with a bright green bolt that Draco barely sidestepped, launching a quick _expelliarmus_ at the angry girl. Tracey's wand flew and landed on the ground, blasting Tracey in the back with an errant green magic pulse from the broken wand.

"Tracey!" Harry and Blaise screamed, checking the girl.

"Dammit." Flint said as he and some of the team went to check on her.

"She lost. Big deal." Draco said.

"It will be a big deal if Snape finds out you had something to do with her getting hurt." Montague said, eyeing the crowd around the girl who looked sick. Draco blanched.

"Tracey?" Harry asked. She pushed past him and ran at Malfoy, who looked suddenly frightened, coughing up several large, slimy slugs out on the boy.

"That's bloody disgusting." Tracey said with a weak grin.

With a yelp, Draco ran from the field, leaving a group of laughing Slytherins behind.

"Worth-" Tracey began, gagging and coughing up more slugs. "-it.".

OooooO

"Malfoy said what?" Daphne asked outraged.

Harry had gone back to practice after escorting Tracey to the infirmary.

"Called her a halfling." Blaise said, making a disgusted face as Tracey hacked up several more slugs .

"It's okay, Daph; I got him good." Tracey said, trying to grin but it came out looking more like a grimace.

"I saw, but still." Daphne said with a sigh, not quite placated.

"We'll get him back." Tracey said with a small smile.

"What for? Your own wand caused this." Blaise said with a smirk.

"Miss Davis!" said Madame Pomfrey, the hospital wing matron, " avoid making gestures like that or I will jinx your fingers together."

"Sorry." Tracey said just before she coughed up more slugs. Daphne looked sick.

"Can you cure this?" She asked, thoroughly grossed out.

"It's not permanent; it just needs to run its course, give it a few hours." Pomfrey said.

"I'm stuck like this for hours?" Tracey asked worriedly.

"Yes, Miss Davis, is there a problem?." Madame Pomfrey asked.

"No one's gonna try to kiss me like this." Tracey huffed, crossing her arms.

"No one would want to anyways." Blaise said with a smirk.

Tracey grabbed her heart in mock pain, but returned the smirk. The friends talked for a while, with momentary lapses of slugs being brought into being.

OooooO

Harry slumped into dressing room bench, sighing. He'd managed to best Draco, which in itself was a feat. The new brooms really did have much better speed and acceleration, but it also made them less maneuverable, which was Harry's trump card.

Still, Draco had won a set, which meant he was the backup Seeker. That meant dealing with Malfoy during practices and games, which did not exactly sit well with Harry. Unfortunately, the choice was up to Flint, who didn't want to part with his new broom, as Draco had threatened.

He gathered his things and made his way back to the castle, looking around at the grounds; it seemed like a good day out.

There was a gentle breeze blowing, bird calls and insect sounds ringing. The smell of the trees, the shore of the Black Lake. Even the blue sky, with sparse clouds that seemed painted as they drifted.

Harry found himself smiling at the scenery as he approached the castle, the murmurs of people in the distance growing louder. As he approached the door, he saw a man who he was not very happy to see.

"Potter." Said Snape with a slightly annoyed look in his eyes.

"Yes, Professor?" Harry asked with an internal sigh.

"I heard about the little… scuttle in the quidditch field today. You, Miss Davis, and Mister Malfoy will be serving detention tonight." Snape said coolly. Harry forced his face to maintain a neutral look and nodded.

"Yes, sir." He said, biting the inside of his mouth to keep quiet.

"Good. You'll have your detention with Professor Lockhart." Snape said, smiling coldly. Harry's indifferent façade fell through, clearly wanting to argue. "Say anything and it will be doubled, am I making myself clear?"

"Yes." Harry said quietly. Snape nodded and walked off.

 _Git! Go ruin someone else's day._ Harry thought venomously. _Detention with Lockhart? Hell, I would much rather deal with Snape._

Harry walked on to get lunch, not looking forward to the detention.

"Dammit." Harry said for the third time that day.

OooooO

Daphne walked through the castle sighing. Her and Blaise had let Tracey rest, so they'd gone off, trying to pass the day.

Blaise began snickering to himself, much to Daphne's surprise.

"What's so funny?" She asked, eyeing the boy.

"We were talking about Potter's luck, but look at Tracey. She slug jinxed herself _and_ got a detention from Snape over it." He said with a grin.

"That's true, still can't believe that's how bad her wand got." Daphne said, smiling.

"Anyways, we've got a while before lunch, anything you'd like to do?" Blaise asked, walking around people in the hall.

"I'm not sure. What is going on, why is this crowd here?" She asked, Blaise getting pushed to another part of the crowd. As she tried to maneuver around people, she bumped into a girl, dropping her bag.

"I'm sorry. I know crowds can be… Daph?" the girl asked.

"Tori?" Daphne asked, recognizing her cousin, Astoria.

"Finally I see you." The younger girl said with a grin, hugging her cousin.

"How have you been?" Daphne asked, helping her cousin weave between the crowd.

"Come, one and all, to see our new merchandise!" came the familiar voices of the Weasley twins.

 _That explains the crowd,_ Daphne thought.

The Weasley twins would make their own joke products and sell whatever miscreant artifacts they'd crafted and concocted.

"What do you think they're selling?" Astoria asked, trying to see around the bustling crowd.

"Who knows? Maybe another potion or prank toy." Daphne said nonchalantly.

"My dear, so uninterested, this one." said George Weasley, giving a Cheshire cat grin to the girls.

"Hello… Fred?" Blaise tried, walking up behind Daphne.

"And here I thought we were friends. How you wound me, Zabini." George said dramatically.

"He's funny." Astoria said with a giggle.

"Fred Weasley, at your service." George said, taking the girl's hand in a mock bow.

"But I just called you Fred." Blaise said with a frown.

"I lied." the red head said simply.

"Did you really?" Astoria asked with a smile.

"Nah, I was being serious." George winked, deepening Blaise's frown.

"If you were being serious that means you lied to my cousin." Daphne pointed out.

"I would never lie to a lady." George said, grinning.

"But you'd lie to me." Blaise said.

"I'm terribly sorry, I misjudged you, Lady Zabini." George said, completely straightfaced.

"I- what?" Blaise said, confused.

"So, why are you three lovely ladies walking around all by your lonesome?" George asked, ignoring Blaise's protest.

"We were trying to fill in the morning, since Harry is in practice and Tracey's with Pomfrey." Daphne said.

"I heard about that. Tisk, tisk, tisk, jinxing yourself like that." George sighed. "It did give us an idea for a new something, though."

"I'm not sure I like that grin." Blaise said, looking at the mischievous smile the other boy wore.

"Still in development, my dear miss. No need to worry your pretty little head." he taunted.

"I am a boy." Blaise said through gritted teeth.

"And I'm George." George said with a smile.

Blaise gave an exasperated huff and walked away, leaving the girls with the boy, laughing.

OooooO

"Harry, my boy!" The ecstatic educator said, "Right on time! Come in!"

Harry walked into the room, seeing more pictures of Lockhart on the walls than any sane human being should have. They were all over the walls, on the furniture, and even on the stack, which Lockhart seemed to point him towards.

Harry sat heavily on the seat next to the stack of photos, the top of which waved happily at him, posing and shooting admiring glances at no one in particular. Before Harry could reach for a picture, a large box landed heavily in front of him. It was filled with white sheets that he recognized as blank envelopes.

 _You're bloody kidding me!_ Harry thought in disbelief.

"Now, Harry, as much as I'm sure you'd love to help me with my autographs, my adoring fans would know my signature was copied. It must be done by me, and myself only!" Lockhart said proudly. "You, dear boy, will be addressing the envelopes!"

The seconds ticked by so slowly it seemed impossible to Harry. The whole time, Lockhart smiled the pictures of himself, absentmindedly muttering odd ends of whatever the man passed off as advice for fame.

 _Please tell me this is over._ Harry thought miserably as he wrote on what must have been the odd hundredth address.

How or why so many witches and wizards wanted an autograph from this man, Harry had no idea. It was at this same point Harry heard something.

"… _to me… Let me hurt you… Let me rip you… Let me tear you apart… Let me… Let me kill you…"_

"What?" Harry said shocked.

"I know! Almost six months as a best seller list; this is record breaking, even for me!" Lockhart said proudly, apparently in the middle of some brag.

"N-no, Professor, I mean that voice." Harry said looking around carefully.

"Voice? What voice?" Lockhart asked with a pouting frown, Harry looked surprised.

"You didn't hear it?" Harry asked.

"Harry, I'd ask what you were going on about, but look at the time! We've been having so much fun, I'm sure you dozed off. It's quite alright, I won't tell mean old Professor Snape about this." Lockhart said with a smile that let Harry know he hadn't heard anything.

The boy nodded and got up, looking nervously around. He left the room to an exaggerated and warm farewell from the teacher, who chuckled to himself as he closed the door.

Harry headed back to the Slytherin dorm, a few flights down, listening intently for any other whispering voices.

He walked into the Common Room, seeing a sleepy Tracey waiting for him, her head bobbing, letting Harry know she'd been there a while.

"Hey." She said quietly with a tired smile.

"Hey yourself." Harry smirked, sitting next to her.

"How'd it go?" She asked, yawning.

"I signed so. Many. Envelopes." He sighed.

"Envelopes? Why?" Tracey asked.

"For his autographs." He deadpanned. The look on his face let Tracey know wasn't kidding.

"That's tough." She said apologetically. Harry smiled thankfully.

"I think we both got off a lot harder than Draco." Tracey said with a grimace.

"Why do you say that?" He asked her.

"He was already in here, getting ready to sleep when I got back an hour or so ago." Tracey grumbled.

"That seems about right." Harry said with a sigh.

"Unfortunately. Prick." Tracey said with arms crossed.

"How was it for you?" He asked. Tracey groaned.

"I had Filch; I had to wipe trophies and awards and other rubbish." She complained, detailing her punishment.

"Hey, Trace?" Harry asked hesitantly.

"Yes?" she asked, looking sleepy.

"Did you hear… ah, never mind." He said, yawning.

"No, tell me." She said, resting on the arm rest.

"Did you… hear any voices tonight?" Harry asked.

"Other than Filch? No. Why?" Tracey questioned.

"When I was with Lockhart, I heard a voice." He said slowly. "A menacing voice."

"Menacing how?" she asked, clearly half asleep.

"Like threatening." He replied.

Harry described the voice and then Lockhart's apparent lack of hearing it. He described the words, the dry tone, but the undeniable anger behind the words. By the time he was done, Tracey looked more awake.

"Harry that's…" she tried, shivering. She looked around the empty room, the large fireplace crackling with a relaxing fire.

"Didn't mean to frighten you." Harry apologized.

"It's fine, just spooky." She said. "Unless for some reason there was some invisible whisperer, I don't know what that was."

"If someone had walked in, they would of had to open the door." Harry frowned. Tracey nodded.

"We should tell the guys tomorrow morning." She said, eyeing the dark dormitory halls. Harry nodded and got up, Tracey following suit. He walked Tracey to her room, as the girl didn't want to walk alone in the dark after Harry's comments.

"Night, Trace." He said with a smile.

"Night, Harry." Tracey said. "You should smile more. Really suits you."

"Funny," Harry said to himself as he walked away, "Luna said the same thing."

"Hey, Harry?" Tracey said, looking conflicted.

"Yeah?" He asked, looking back. Tracey walked over and gave him a hug, walking quickly back to her room.

He walked to his room, changing to his pajamas. With the events of the day swirling in his mind, Harry fell to a restless sleep.

OooooO

Tracey heard the footsteps retreating and sighed. She felt guilty.

She had come into the new year confident that she could get Harry's attention. Her mom, in particular had been unnecessarily explicit about how she would handle the situation, and giving her small advice on being herself.

 _So much good being myself did._ Tracey thought with a sigh.

Knowing that Daphne had feelings for Harry complicated things. To her, their relation had seemed strictly platonic, sibiling-like. And from Harry side, that seemed the case.

She couldn't lie to herself, she wanted to have tried something, to have said something.

 _Instead I whimped out and hugged him, ugh._ Tracey thought, berating herself.

She knew this would be complicated, even messy. She had become very close with Daphne and Harry very quickly, and she didn't wanna lose Daphne over it.

The girl sighed and walked to bed, crawling under the covers.

 _Maybe this will make more sense when I'm more awake._ Tracey thought, slowly drifting into sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: This Cold Blackness**

"Harry!" the man screamed, rousing himself from his thin veil of sleep. He looked around at the small room he was in, sighing heavily as he realized it was still his cell. The cell was small, cramped. A pile of disgusting, dirtied rags made up both his bed and toiletry. A rusty, enchanted chamber pot lay opposite to the rag bed. With a sigh, the man got up and walked slowly to the barred window, seeing the perpetual fog and mist of the outside. He could hear the water. That damned invisible water, how it taunted him. He could hear the surf breaking against a cliff side, so closely he could hear the pebbles and rocks settle as the tide pulled out. It was so close, and he knew it, and in over a decade that he'd been there, he hadn't seen any actual signs of the water, save for the ever-present sounds.

The man sighed once more and walked the handful of steps to the door. The rusted bars showed no sign of ever not having rust, but despite their apparent age, he knew they were magical, and far stronger than he'd ever be able to muster. Beyond the bars, he could hear the other constant sounds of this place: screaming. The screams never ended, not for long. Even after their source ended, the sound would echo, becoming less human with each passing. If he didn't know better, he would be sure this was hell. A tiny cell, the screams of the damned, and the sounds of the sea, a redemption so close, but out of reach.

This was life for Sirius Orion Black.

Once, a proud man, Auror, friend, and son. Now, an emaciated remnant of what he once was. His skin clung to his body tightly, skin covered in grime. His hair was black and greying quickly, much too grey for a wizard in his early thirties. The tattered remains of his prison robes hung loosely around him, flapping silently with every step he took. And then were his eyes. Once upon a time, they were a steel grey, now they were an almost black color, haunted, paranoid, and insane.

Sirius leaned into the corner of his room with the rags, pressing himself into the wall. Like instinct born of fear, he knew what time it was. All across the walls were tally marks of the days gone, the point where he'd given up the futile exercise lost in the scrawls. He eyed them, trying to distract himself. He picked up the odd ends and bits that layered the floor, pretending to hope that the solution to his imprisonment lay in then.

A loud, sharp creaking sound let him know the inevitable was here. By all means, with the items in his cell, Sirius had enough to pick the lock and run out, but it would be in vain, as he knew _what_ guarded the prison he found himself in.

Saying it was as silent as death would be an understatement. The large, robed monstrosity that brought his meal floated in, the cool air becoming freezing as it approached. Whatever attempts at making this easier died with its appearance, all other thoughts being drained away. A bowl landed with a soft sound on the floor, being softly pushed towards the cowering man. The sound of it dragging echoed eerily in the small cell, but it was the hand that was most disturbing. A clammy, greyed hand, covered in what seemed to be mottled black welts and blemishes, cracked and broken finger nails covered in dirt, and the odd bandage looking cloth that clung to it under its robes.

Dementors were not demons, but they came very damned close.

With another echoing creak, the door shut silently as the beast glided away, allowing Sirius to release a breath he didn't know he was holding.

He cursed silently to himself. He should be used to this by now, the dread at the creature but every day, it frightened him and made him feel worse.

 _There's no way this isn't hell._ The man thought, shakily grabbing his meal.

 _Ice cold, as always._ He thought with grim bemusement. _As if any warmth could come from those things._

Sirius paused as he heard the door across from him open.

"I thought I asked for toast, beastie." A female voice said, just before cackling madly.

There was a moment of silence, broken quickly by a giggle.

"No response then? What a shame, I expected more." The woman sighed, giggling again.

The giggle quickly gave way to a shriek of terror, the sounds of someone trying to back away very clear in the crypt-like silence. Another bowl scraping, another door closing. There was a moment of silence that was cut by a small sob. Sirius sighed and scooted to the door.

"What's the matter, Bellatrix?" Sirius asked the woman, his voice weak, unused.

"You... you talked to me?" Bellatrix asked with a sniffle, surprised. She'd been trying to talk to Sirius for years with no success.

- **Some Years Ago** -

" _Hello, cousin. Are you still alive there?" Bellatrix called, trying to see her cousin through the bars. She tried again, getting no response. "Sirius?"_

" _Don't you dare say my name, you slag!" Sirius snarled, throwing himself at the bars. "You don't get to call me cousin. You don't get to say my name; you are nothing, NOTHING to me!"_

 _Bellatrix seemed surprised. She hadn't been surprised to see the Aurors arresting her. She hadn't been too shocked to have gotten thrown into the worst magical prison in Europe. But this, this was a surprise, definitely an unpleasant one._

She was innocent, figuratively. She had been forced into a marriage contract with Rodolphus Lestrange, magically binding her to be his slave. When he gave himself to the Dark Lord, she could only do as directed. Those were dark times for her. She couldn't say anything she wasn't allowed to, couldn't say no when her husband touched her and couldn't say no when he passed her out like a party favor. When he gave her to the Dark Lord, she could only do as she was told, her obedience gaining her the favor of her master. She was his left hand, bringing a swift and painful end to those who opposed Lord Voldemort. When he died, it was like waking up. She was in control of her life once more, as much as she knew what she'd done. So when she landed a cell next to her cousin, she was surprised. He kept saying he was innocent, and she believed him. She was too, after all.

But that was the last time Sirius had spoken to her. That had happened about twelve years ago.

"Never mind then." Sirius's weak voice said.

"N-no, come back. I was just surprised." Bellatrix said quietly. She made her way to the bars, putting her face between them.

Bellatrix had been a beautiful woman. Striking violet eyes, soft face with a strong jaw line. She had been very shapely, with black hair. The Bellatrix that Sirius had grown accustomed to in prison was nothing like that. Her hair was as greyed as his was, eyes sunken and maddened by years of dementors. The extreme emaciation had taken her figure. Much like himself, she was a mere shell of what once was.

"You were crying; you don't cry, not even when you were younger." Sirius said, coughing. It'd been years since he'd spoken.

"I think I'm starting to actually go crazy." Bellatrix said sadly.

"Bella, we're all crazy here." Sirius said, equally disheartened.

"I'm aware, but twelve years talking to yourself gets…" she tried.

"Imagine twelve years of not talking. This is… unusual." He said. Bellatrix nodded.

"I'm a bit surprised you actually talked to me but glad." She said after a brief pause.

"Why is that?" Sirius asked. His cousin shrugged.

"Lonely." She said simply. Now, it was his turn to nod.

"Why are you here, Sirius?" Bellatrix asked, moving to rest her back on the wall next to the door. She needed this. A conversation. She wasn't gonna let it go easily.

"Why does it matter?" Sirius replied, mimicking his cousin's position.

"Because you shouldn't be here. You keep muttering about 'keeping him safe', whatever that means." Bellatrix said. "You're protective, not a trait that lands you in Azkaban."

"Murdering twelve muggles and…" Sirius said. Whatever the end of that sentence had been, he said too quietly to hear.

"Why would you kill muggles?" She asked confused. She knew her cousin had nothing to do with the Pure-Blood supremacy.

"I didn't." He said.

"I don't understand then." Bellatrix said with a frown.

"I was also accused of killing the Potters and Peter Pettigrew." Sirius coughed up, rather than explaining.

"What? Those are you friends." Bellatrix said with a surprise frown.

The quickly dropping temperature let them both know a dementor was coming, as they both moved away from the door. After a moment, Bellatrix approached the door again, looking for signs of the creature. Satisfied by it not being in the hall anymore, she continued.

"I know the Dark Lord had a spy looking for the Potters for some reason, but I know it wasn't you." She finished. Sirius let out a small laugh. It sounded dead and hollow.

"How are you so sure?" He asked darkly. Bellatrix's frown deepened.

"Because you're loyal to yourself and your friends, that's why Auntie Walburga tried to banish you from the family." She said. Sirius nodded.

"Twelve years and you're the first person to think I'm innocent." He said, more to himself than to her.

"Aren't you?" She asked quietly.

"Yeah, It's the only reason I'm not insane. I know I'm innocent. It's not a happy thought or memory, it's a fact; it keeps me centered." He said slowly. Bellatrix nodded.

"That's my thought process exactly." She said. Sirius frowned.

"No offense, Bella, but didn't you kill a lot of people and laugh doing it?" He pointed out.

"Blame Pollux." She said angrily. "Sold us all, old bastard."

"What? What did Pollux do?" He asked.

"Marriage contracts. He sold me and Cissy." She spat. Sirius looked shocked.

"What? When?" He demanded.

"Shortly after Andromeda's relation with that muggle wizard became known." She said.

"I wasn't aware." He said quietly.

"Andi ran away, she magically swore away from the family, meaning Pollux had no ability to trap her. I begged him to so Narcissa's wouldn't be too bad and it cost me." Bellatrix explained. "Narcissa became Miss Malfoy, trophy wife to Lucius and I got sent to the Lestranges, signed and sealed with blood to be theirs."

"Bella, you didn't." Sirius said, hoping he wasn't hearing this right.

"I had to keep Cissy safe." She said, looking at him with eyes that seemed to scream the words.

"I see." He said, waiting for her to continue.

"I signed my contract with my own blood, signed with my wand. Whatever the contract said, I had no choice. The Lestrange brothers flipped a bloody Knut to see who would keep me, and I was forced to do whatever Rodolphus wanted me to." Bella said with strain. Sirius knew that whatever had happened was not good, but not part of this story. "And then that arse sold me. He had joined the Dark Lord and failed his mission. As reparations for his failure, he gave me away to save his own sorry hide."

"How did you get free?" He asked, processing what she'd said.

"That's the upside to an Imperial marriage contract. They assume you're stuck, so it was to the death of Rodolphus." She said with sigh. "Rather than fight all I'd done, I turned myself in. I hoped I'd get a trial at the very least. Instead, I found myself here."

"The same thing here. Guess the Ministry isn't happy with the Black family. After old man Arcturus, who can blame them?" Sirius sighed. Bella nodded.

Arcturus Black had been known to force his way in meetings of the Wizengamot, and it said he earned his "high regards" through bribery, murder, and various other nefarious ways. When he passed away, a lot of people showed up to his funeral, most just to see for themselves that he stayed dead.

"I wish there was some way out of here." Bella said, sounding like a wistful child.

"The bars are unbreakable, but the locks can be picked." Sirius said with a noncommittal shrug.

"What? If you know this, how come you're still here?" Bellatrix asked, seeing several rusted metal bits on her floor.

"That." Sirius said grimly, the air growing cold again. He pushed his bowl towards the door and backed away, feeling the cold and dread increase.

After a moment, the door opened again, and the bowl left the floor without a sound. Another creak and the door closed, Bellatrix's door opening and shutting moments later.

"Surely there must be some way around them." Bella said in a hushed voice as some semblance of warmth returned. She heard her cousin sigh.

"Do you have a wand?" He said with a weak chuckle.

"No, why? Is there a spell to kill them?" She asked curious.

"I wish. Those things could take a Killing Curse the way we would a gust of wind. There's a charm though, that scares them away." Sirius said, sighing. "It wouldn't work though."

"Why not?" She asked quietly, her new found hope slipping quickly.

"It requires something we don't have anymore." He said, equally saddened. There has been no point in saying it anyways.

"What does it need?" She asked. She wanted to- no, needed- to know.

"It requires a lot of strength, and a memory." Sirius said, tossing a metal bit to the wall. It clattered a lot louder than it should have.

"What kind of memory?" She asked. She knew something strenuous was beyond them, but maybe she could build up to it.

Sirius could hear the hopefulness in her voice. Something that the dementors usually quashed. It pained him to have to take this from her.

"The happiest memory you can think of. You need to put all the joy, love, and care you can behind it." He said slowly.

"Oh."

The sound broke his heart. One short syllable, and it sounded so broken leaving her lips. He heard a quiet sound he'd not grown used to hearing, and now it weighed down on him; Bella crying.

 _This is exactly why I didn't want to talk._ He thought, feeling guilty.

It was surprising how quickly he grew to like having a single conversation with someone he had trades curses with, and knowing she wasn't in control hadn't changed the bitterness he felt. But having someone understand, he felt… human.

"Guess we can just roll over and die." Bellatrix sobbed, holding her head.

 _Roll over._ Sirius thought, the words striking some long forgotten chord.

Bellatrix sighed, and began to frown. She heard panting and felt perturbed.

"Sirius, really? Twelve years in hell and you can still-" she began, but was interrupted by a bark. "What the _hell?_ "

She got up and crawled to the door, seeing a large black dog in her cousin's cell.

"Sirius? Why is there a dog in your cell?" She asked, both surprised and confused.

 _This is it; I've lost my damned mind._ She thought bitterly.

The dog barked and panted, looked at her almost expectantly.

"No. I'm not gonna start talking with my cousin's dead mutt." She said, recognizing the dog as the one she'd seen at the Black home.

The dog whined and sat, staring at her with its tail wagging slowly.

"Sirius, say something. I'm going crazy." Bellatrix whined. Before her eyes, which widened exponentially, she saw the dog transform into her cousin.

"Bella." He said, grinning for the first time in years. "I have a plan."

OoooooO

"I have a plan." Daphne said quietly, sitting next to Blaise in the library.

"A plan?" Blaise asked, waiting for her to go on.

"Yes, about the soul bond." Daphne said, looking around for others in the library.

"I'm listening." Blaise said, sitting up in his chair. Daphne sighed.

"At first, I was planning a bit of a "Tracey" approach." She said, frowning slightly.

"You mean over the top romantic rubbish?" Blaise asked. Daphne nodded.

"Which seemed like the wrong approach altogether; I figured that I need to be more direct about it." She said, receiving a nod from her friend.

"So what all does this plan entail?" Blaise asked, curiously.

"I need to get him alone." She said, biting her lip in embarrassment.

"Why do you say it like it's so difficult?" Blaise asked, smirking when Daphne frowned.

"Because lately he's been around Tracey or that Lovegood girl." Daphne said with a small pout.

"I guess that's true." Blaise said. "Maybe he wants to get a harem going?"

"Blaise!" Daphne snapped, smacking his arm.

Blaise smirked, bickering with his friend for a moment.

"So...when do you think you'll be able to get him alone?" Blaise asked.

"That's where I find myself unsure." Daphne admitted. "I could try to get a moment alone in the castle, there's plenty of hideaways."

"That's true." Blaise said, "But if that's the case, then what's stopping you?"

"I'm nervous." Daphne admitted. "How do you tell someone you love them easily?"

Blaise nodded, unsure of how to respond.

The conversation carried on, both friends trying to figure out a way to isolate Harry. Unfortunately for them, an unexpected and unwelcomed third party in the form of Pansy Parkinson overhead the conversation.

 _So, Greenie likes Potter? Big surprise there! And she wants to get him alone? Ooh, I can use this._ Pansy thought, smiling to herself.

Quickly, she set off, looking for Draco, finding him in the Slytherin Commons.

"Ah, Pansy." He said, acknowledging her. "I was looking for you."

"Hold on. I've got interesting news." Pansy said with a cold smile.

OoooooO


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: Malfoy**

"Luna, we need to take you to Pomfrey." Harry insisted.

Luna was naturally pale, but she looked paler to Harry. It was October, and with it came strings of colds. In a crowded castle, that was no real surprise. Thankfully, Madame Pomfrey's Pepper-up Potions worked wonders on the colds, albeit with the amusing side effect of having smoke come out of people's ears. No one was having as much fun with it as the Weasley twins.

Taking her hand, Harry led Luna to the nurse, chatting with her quietly as he went. Unbeknownst to the two friends, they were being followed.

 _A Ravenclaw for your collection, Potter?_ Draco thought with a dark smile.

The blond boy followed behind them a few students behind, careful not to be seen. As they walked into the office, he smiled and casually walked by.

"Oh, look! Potter is having a pleasant visit at the loony bin." he taunted.

"Oh look, Malfoy all alone because he's unpleasant." Harry retorted. Draco smirked and walked on, confident.

He knew better now.

As Draco carefully scouted out whatever Harry was up to, he had Pansy following Blaise and Daphne; the two had become confidants and if Pansy could overhear more, it would help.

Draco smiled; he liked it when a plan fell into his lap.

Being in the top five of the second years didn't mean much if he was number five. No, he wouldn't take it; he'd pour further into his studies. He knew Potter was fourth, and not by much. Third, was some snobby Ravenclaw while Greengrass and the mudblood tied for first.

Overtaking Potter would be no problem academically. The Ravenclaw, he already spoke to and she was very interested in bumping the other two from their lead. He had to be careful though. His research had shown that Ravenclaws tended to be very underhanded in trying to best each other in school; he wouldn't put it past her to try and sabotage him later. He'd make sure to have a plan in place to deal with her, too.

Draco took a deep breath and walked on, knowing Potter would be busy with the crazy girl for a good while.

He paused and reviewed, trying to get everything in order.

Greengrass and Potter had been seeing other friends. He had the misfortune of knowing them, and their limited time apart would soon end. Whatever attraction they had would always bring them back to each other. Just like every other issue, it seemed to roll off the two interestingly quickly, but he was getting off track. The halfling, Davis, she was trying to get more time with the boy in question. An unexpected third party, but one he could use; he would need to see how far her attraction went.

Zabini. Draco grimaced at the thought of the smug boy. Very little was known about the boy. He maintained several friendships through several houses, some with prominent figures, possibly power plays, and some with lesser witches and wizards, just as openly. His disdain for the Zabini wild card let him know Blaise would not be an ally, nor an easy pawn to play.

And then, of course, the Lovegood girl. From what he knew, his father had nearly bankrupt the girl's father, but the man had bounced back in some unusual fashion the Malfoy patriarch was loath to mention.

From his sources, it seemed she kept a collection of Potter books, so there was a clear infatuation there. The exact extent of which he would have to see if he could manipulate as well.

Several footsteps behind him roused him from this thoughts. It was Theodore Nott and Pansy, both looking pleased with themselves.

"Good news then?" Draco asked with a small smile. His friends nodded. "Pansy, ladies first."

"Zabini has talked Greengrass into making a move this week." Pansy said with a mean smile.

This was good; he could make his move sooner than anticipated.

"Nott?" He asked, eyeing the grinning boy.

"I managed to get the false note written down, as per instructions, and I've got the _Confundus_ charm down. Give the word and I'll have Greengrass give Potter your letter." He said proudly.

"And the letter looks like it was written by her?" Draco asked, making sure.

"Of course, a mimic charm is one of my specialties." the boy smirked.

"Very good, then, here's what we'll do…"

OooooO

Tracey was rather besides herself. As they walked, she stole an occasional glance at Harry and Daphne's conjoined hands. With an internal sigh, she followed them into their Defense class, sighing audibly when Harry and Daphne sat together.

"Alright, class," Lockhart said with a smile, addressing all the students in the room, "Today, I've got a treat for you."

Tracey smiled sadly, knowing this would probably end badly. She hadn't wanted to acknowledge it, but Blaise had been right. Lockhart was an airhead.

"Who here has ever heard of a "Wolpertinger"?" He asked with faux mystery. He looked at the handful of hands that went up. "Ah, yes, Miss Greengrass?"

"Wolpertingers are magical German rabbits." She explained simply.

"Very good, five points to Slytherin!" Lockhart said. "Now, Miss Greengrass did streamline it, but imagine, those of you unaware, a small, cute, bunny."

A few members of the class smirked, others nodded.

"Now to that, add antlers." He began.

"Sir, isn't that a Jackalope?" one of the students asked.

"Close, distant relation actually. Very good, Mister Rogers, five points to Hufflepuff. Now, as I was saying, on top of the antlers, add a small pair of wings, fangs, and some types, like the one you'll see today, have tails!" the teacher said proudly.

This had the class suddenly paying attention, mostly out of worry. Lockhart had a bad record with his "hands on" approach.

Tracey bit her lip nervously. Lockhart's last "furry friend" almost took her fingers with it.

"What's got you in a twist?" Blaise asked Tracey quietly.

"Bulstrode ate my stuffed dragon."

"What?"

It wasn't a lie. Millicent Bulstrode had taken her dragon as a show of strength for the Slytherin girls, and ate it. This of course backfired as everyone thought it was absolutely terrifying and weird.

"She took it, made a scene and bit into it." Tracey said with a huff.

"She. Ate it." Blaise said, pausing between the words. He was very clear not buying it.

Tracey reached into her bag and pulled the very chewed remains of the toy from inside, placing it on Blaise's desk.

"What the hell?" He said, wide eyed.

"Language, Mister Zabini." Lockhart playfully admonished, petting the rabbit looking thing. "I know they don't seem pretty, but they are very smart, and interesting creatures."

"Er… yes. Sorry, sir." Blaise said, eyeing the remains.

"Who would like to come up and learn a thing or two? This big boy is ready for his preening and cleaning." The teacher said with a jovial smile.

There was a dead silence, as no one wanted to be hurt. It also didn't take a genius to know that the reluctance was entirely Lockhart's fault, but his brilliant smile didn't fade in the slightest.

"I assure you all, this is entirely safe." Lockhart said, repeating a phrase he'd commonly say before things got worse.

With an almost audible sigh, Tracey got up and walked to the front, earning her looks of apology, speculation, and entertainment. She stood next to the little creature and the smiling teacher.

"Thank you very much, Miss Davis!" Lockhart said proudly. "Five points for Slytherin. Now, Miss Davis, I do ask you to be careful, the antlers are very strong and Wolpertingers sharpen them against rocks to keep predators away."

 _Great. Now I can get stabbed by a rabbit._ Tracey thought sarcastically. She nodded and eyed the creature warily, its antlers looking larger up close.

"Now, what?" She said with faked enthusiasm.

"Stand here, and hold it like this." Lockhart instructed, showing her how the grip on the wolpertinger's leg was. The girl nodded, and that's when it happened.

In a sudden, yet oddly inevitable fashion, as Lockhart released the wolpertinger for Tracey, Goyle sneezed, which spooked the animal. It let out a shriek not unlike a house cat who had been stepped on. In a frenzy, the animal reared its head, jabbing Tracey in the arm with an antler.

The girl screamed in pain, panicking the animal further, causing it to jump out in panic. It began flying and jumping across the room, scaring students as it went. It ducked under desks and spooked several Hufflepuffs out, and then jumped up, making several Slytherins fall off their chairs in their own panic.

Most of the class began heading to the door, when a surprisingly well placed spell hit the wolpertinger, making it fly in docile circles.

"Everyone, calm down." Lockhart said, smiling. He put his wand away and gave a sharp whistle to the creature, who seemed to return in a daze.

"Professor?" Asked a short, thin, blond Slytherin.

"Yes, Mister Nott?" Lockhart asked, gently petting the animal.

"Tracey is still bleeding." He said, rather pointedly.

The girl in question looked absolutely pale. Her left arm had been jabbed by a pointy antler and she was holding it, blood from her arm, tears from her eyes.

"I'll take her to Madame Pomfrey." Harry said, walking Tracey out before Lockhart could protest.

"Thanks." Tracey said quietly, smiling softly.

"No reason to thank me. Just wanted to get out before it got worse." Harry joked. Tracey smacked him playfully and sucked in a breath of pain.

"Wrong arm." She grimaced.

"Sure you didn't hit your head?" Harry asked with a grin.

"Prat." She smiled back.

"Is it that bad?" he asked after a moment. Tracey nodded.

"It hasn't stopped bleeding, so…" she trailed off. Harry nodded in response.

After a moment they reached the matron, who instantly began asking what happened.

"A wolpertinger." She said with disbelief. "Lockhart?"

"Yes, Madame." Tracey grimaced.

"Wolpertinger antlers are magical, and when they cut or puncture, they keep they wound open longer." She explained, walking Tracey to a bed.

"I'll have to stay?" Tracey asked worriedly.

"That, even with potions, won't close soon. You'll need to be here overnight for the animal's magic to fade and the potions to help close the wound." Pomfrey explained.

"But I don't wanna." Tracey said quietly.

"Hey, I'll be here with you, don't worry." Harry said with a smile. Tracey returned a grateful smile and sighed.

"Thanks, Harry. So err… what's up with that letter?" Tracey asked, pointing out a letter Harry held that she'd barely noticed.

"Oh. I dunno, Daphne gave it to me just before the rabbit attack." He teased. Tracey stuck her tongue out, worrying about what it could be.

"Open it and find out." She said. Harry nodded.

"Hold your pegasus." He said, opening the letter.

 _Dear Harry,_

 _I'm not entirely sure how to say this, so I thought you and I could meet up alone later, say the fourth unused classroom on the third floor? It's important. See you at eight tonight._

 _Daphne_

Tracey felt her heart drop. That was it, wasn't it? Daphne was gonna confess and Harry would probably say yes.

"That's a bit odd." Harry said with a slight frown.

"What is?" Tracey asked half-heartedly.

"Daphne usually gives me an idea of what she wants to talk about in letters and notes. This is rather vague." He answered, reading the letter once again.

 _It's pretty clear what she wants._ Tracey thought with roll of her eyes.

"Well, eight leaves a few hours to hang out with you." Harry said.

"You don't have to." Tracey said, blushing slightly.

"I promised, didn't I?"

OooooO

It was seven thirty, Blaise had come by to check on Tracey. Harry had left not too long ago to meet up with Daphne, as per her request.

"So, how's it going?" Tracey asked, smiling at the company.

"Can't complain. Thought I'd take a stab at being nice and check how you were." Blaise said, smirking at his joke.

"Really? I'm here bleeding to death and you want to make puns?" Tracey asked, giving the boy a look of false pain. She grinned regardless.

"Sorry. Guess I'm being a prick. I'll stop horning in on your moment." He said, his smirk growing.

"You- I- Stop that!" She said, giggling. Blaise smirked.

"Anyways, I guess I should go get ready." the boy said, straightening up. "Just came by to make sure you weren't dying."

"How very noble of you." She deadpanned.

"Well, of course." Blaise retorted, smirking. "I've got to get to the library. I've a study session with Greengrass and Bones."

"You're studying with Astoria and Susan?" She asked, confused.

"What? No, Daphne and Susan." Blaise said, frowning. "Astoria is in her first year."

"Oh. At what time?" Tracey asked.

"About eight." Blaise said, "See you tomorrow, Trace."

"Didn't Harry say he and Daphne were meeting up at eight?" Tracey asked herself. She looked at Pomfrey's office, seeing the matron absent.

With no one to stop her, Tracey got up, her bandaged arm covered by her cloak. She walked out, keeping an eye out teachers. She made her way to the Slytherin House entrance, and waited. Soon enough, Harry walked out, Ice King face on, and walked off towards the agreed meeting place briskly.

Tracey followed, worried. Something wasn't adding up. Harry said Daphne's letter was off. And then Blaise said he was meeting up with Daphne at the same time. Unless…

 _Unless the letter wasn't from Daphne._ She thought, realizing it as she followed silently.

Tracey thanked Merlin and Morgana as she followed through the Weasley passages, staying out of the boy's sight.

Harry was approaching the classroom, and Tracey was tiptoeing behind a column, trying not to be spotted. With a moment of hesitation, Harry entered the room.

OooooO

Pain.

And a bright flash of white.

That was all Harry remembered. Up until this point. Now, he was magically bound to a chair. Three blurry figures walked in front of him.

"Daphne?" he asked, confused but remembering why he was there.

"Daphne." A familiar voice mocked, giggling madly.

"Parkinson." He frowned. "Where are my glasses?"

A sharp sound of cracking glass answered him as a second voice spoke up.

"Guess where, Potter." the pompous voice came. Harry sighed.

"Dammit. What now, Malfoy? Parkinson not doing it for you anymore?" Harry smirked.

"Watch your tongue, or I will remove it." Pansy threatened darkly.

"I'm just here to have a little chat, is all." Draco said, smiling pleasantly. "See you're settling in nicely in our house of snakes."

"Oh, yes. Being tied down makes one feel right at home." Harry snarked.

"Very glad to hear that. Maybe we'll be doing this again." Draco said, nodding and smiling.

Before Harry could respond, he felt himself blasted back, his chair crunching under the impact. Draco was on him quickly, friendly pretenses gone.

"Listen," he snarled, "Slytherin is my house. I am in charge, and you will respect that, am I clear?"

Harry looked surprised. He didn't think Malfoy actually had the stones to face him. Sure, it was in an underhanded way, but it was the Slytherin way. And like a snake, Harry would see himself out.

"And by what merit do you think you're fit to say you're in charge? You're not the smartest in our year. You've bought your way to the Slytherin Quidditch team. You faked a letter to get me alone like a stalker and couldn't even face me alone." Harry growled back, giving Draco his iciest tone. "The only thing about you with any value is your father's money. You're a well maintained coward."

"You- you dare-?" Draco began, outraged.

"Yes, I dare!" Harry roared, cutting the blond boy off and making his companions visibly flinch. "You are beneath me, and this proves it, now release me or you will pay."

"Us pay? How?" Parkinson asked warily.

"Like this. _Stupefy!"_ came a voice from behind them. Three red spells hit their targets dead on, making the three of them fall.

"Tracey?" Harry asked, trying to see what was going on.

"Yeah, it's me. Uh… where are your glasses?" She asked, frowning at the boy who was groping the floor.

"One of these pricks stepped on them." He said, looking around.

"Found them. And they don't look very stepped on." she said, handing them back. Harry put them on and smiled.

"After a while, Cyrus enchanted these. I had a bad habit of you know… breaking them." Harry smiled fondly.

"What do you mean had?" Tracey asked, smirking as Harry's smile faltered.

"Why are you here?" He asked, realizing that he'd been saved by her.

"Well, after you left, Blaise came by and told me he had a study session with Daph at the same time. That didn't add up so I wanted to make sure you were safe." She said, fidgeting with her hands.

"That was surprisingly intuitive of you." he teased.

"I'm beginning to regret having helped you." She sighed, twirling her wand.

"I'm surprised you did at all, especially with that busted stick." He smirked.

"Listen, you prick… shut up." She sighed, defeated.

"Still, that was rather brave of you. Are you sure you're not the one who was supposed to be a Gryffindor?" He grinned. Tracey smacked his arm playfully and grabbed his hand, leading him out of the room.

"So, Malfoy, Parkinson, and Nott." Harry mused. "Surprised they didn't have the miniature giants."

"That's very rude." Tracey said. Harry looked surprised. "There's no reason to pick on Hagrid."

"I- no, I didn't…" he sputteted. Tracey laughed.

"Look at you, all flustered." She smirked, happy to turn the tables.

"You know what?" Harry began.

"What?" Tracey challenged, her right eyebrow peaking.

"Thank you. I needed someone to save me and you were there." He said, grateful.

"That was unexpected, but you're welcome." she said, blushing slightly.

They walked the rest of the way in silence, but Tracey was very aware of their paired hands.

After a moment of walking quietly, they arrived at the hidden door to the common room.

"Thanks, Trace. Dunno what would have happened without-" Harry began.

"Hey, Harry?" Tracey asked, cutting him off.

"Yeah?" He asked, curious.

And without another word, she leaned in.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: Complications and Relations**

 ***Fav, Follow, Review***

Harry leaned closer to Tracey, his eyes slowly coming shut. He could feel her uneven breaths on his face and-

"There you both are." Blaise said loudly, making both Harry and Tracey jump back in surprise.

"Tracey, why aren't you in the hospital wing?" Daphne asked, catching up to Blaise.

"I err.." Tracey tried, not sure what to say.

"It's fine; I'll walk Tracey back, hopefully Pomfrey won't skin her alive." Blaise said, grabbing Tracey by the bandaged arm and walking off. "Daphne, didn't you say you had something to say to Harry?"

 _That… that bastard._ Tracey thought angrily.

They were well out of earshot when Tracey spoke.

"Blaise, what the hell?" she demanded angrily, pulling her arm away and ignoring the pain she felt.

"What do you think _you're_ doing, Davis? Daphne told us, in confidence that she likes Potter, and you try to snake him away?" He retorted, frowning.

"I- you saw that?" she asked quietly. Blaise nodded, and sighed.

"Since when do you like Potter?" He asked her, curious.

"It's been a good while. Before our adventure peaked last year, Harry and I began hanging out, mostly since the jokes about him and Daphne became boring and I wasn't making them. He can be very insightful, and playful… and I dunno… guess somewhere along the way I grew er… fond of him." She finished lamely, embarrassed by all she divulged.

Blaise was quietly thinking.

"Dunno what to say. Just remember that Daphne placed her trust in you when she said she liked Harry." He said, shrugging.

"Daphne doesn't own his affection. If you saw anything, he was about to kiss me too." She stated, holding her ground.

"I guess." Was all he said.

"Are you upset?" Tracey asked after a moment.

"Not really. Wondering how you or Daphne would react if the other got to him first." He said, looking at her curiously.

Tracey remained quiet, unsure of what to say. There would definitely be a lot of anger, that much was clear. However, could their friendship handle it?

While Tracey tried to decide what could happen, Blaise found himself in a similar train of thought. With the soul bond, and all that was at stake, how would Daphne handle it? How would Tracey if she knew? He wouldn't be the one to tell her, but regardless, she should know... right?

"That's not fair." Tracey said quietly.

"What isn't?" he asked her.

"The part where I like Harry and the whole world has to stop because of Daphne. I asked her if she had interest in Harry and she said he was like a brother, so who has actually liked him longer? She can't just change her mind and expect the world to work out in her favor." Tracey fumed.

"Calm down." Blaise said, trying to soothe her.

"Why?" She asked, tears forming.

"I can feel your magic; you need to calm down." He explained softly. Tracey looked confused, but nodded, taking a few calming breaths. "Better. That's why they wait until we're older to start school. Less chance of accidental magic."

"Oh, I see." Tracey said, nodding slowly.

"Let's get you to Pomfrey, alright?" He said, smiling. Tracey nodded, walking into the hospital wing.

 _I am definitely gonna have to talk about this with Daphne, and soon._

OoooooO

Harry's mind was racing. He wasn't entirely sure of how one thing lead to the other. He was in trouble, got saved by Tracey, and almost kissed her. Not that he was against kissing her, he liked her, after all, but she liked him?

"Harry?"

"Huh?" he said, realized someone was talking to him.

"Have you been paying attention to me at all?" Daphne smirked, eyeing the confused boy.

"I er… sorry. Just… thinking." Harry said vaguely.

"About what?" Daphne asked.

"I got attacked." He said, frowning.

"Attacked?" A voice came from behind.

"Yes, attacked, Zabini." Harry said, sighing.

Blaise sat down in the closest free seat, interested. With another sigh, having hoped to only tell Daphne, he related the story of Malfoy's ambush, and the conversation.

"How does Davis fit into this?" Blaise asked, taking in the story.

"She followed me and saved my hide. Malfoy and his lot were so focused on me, Tracey got them from behind." He said with a shrug.

"With what...rocks?" Blaise questioned with a smirk.

"She stupefied them." Harry said with a smirk. "No idea how she didn't blast herself, but she managed to hit all three."

"Why was she following you?" Daphne asked.

"Actually, I'm not entirely sure; I did show her this." Harry said, frowning as he produced the slightly crumpled note he'd received

"What's that?" she asked, looking at the parchment.

"A letter from you." Harry said, handing it to her.

"What? No, this? This isn't from me. I had plans with Bones and Blaise to study in the library at this time." Daphne said with a frown.

"I figured that now, I assume Tracey knew your plans and went to save the day." Harry said.

"Actually, I told her about our study session when I visited her. She must have realized something didn't add up and go to help." Blaise responded.

"That… actually makes sense." Daphne said, frowning slightly. "I'm just glad that neither of you two got hurt."

"Yeah, me too." Harry said. "Well, the night has been rather awful, so I'm gonna head off to sleep."

With that, Harry bid his friends good night, walking to his room.

"Guess we should head off too." Daphne said, sighing.

"Yeah… but hey, Daphne, before you go, there's something you need to know.

OooooO

"I certainly hope you three have a good reason for showing up to your rooms at this hour." Professor Snape said coldly, staring at his wayward students.

"These two were asleep together." Argus Filch said, sneering at the embarrassed looks shared by Draco and Theodore.

"Thank you, Argus. I will handle this." The teacher said simply, earning a grin from the other man, who walked away.

"Profe-" Draco began, trying to talk his way out.

"That's ten points from each of you, as well as a week's worth of detention." Snape said coldly. With a billowing of his cloak, the man began to walk away.

"My father-" Draco said.

"Your father gave very clear instructions for your education and personally asked me to be as harsh with my punishments of you as I could be." Snape said, sounding bored. "Two weeks detention, Mister Malfoy, am I making myself clear?"

Draco grimaced and nodded.

"Yes, sir." Draco said simply.

"Now, leave, I will not have you late for classes." Snape said softly, watching the group walk away.

Draco and his conspirators walked to their first class, Daphne and Harry walking out of Slytherin common room right behind them. The blond boy saw them, groaned and ran off, not wanting to deal with Harry already.

"What do you think that was about?" Daphne asked, looking amused.

"No idea, but if I could see Malfoy look so pathetic again, trust me, I want to know." Harry said, smirking.

"Anything to do with you?" She asked, bemused.

"Probably, but them being late has Tracey's handiwork written all over it." Harry praised. He didn't see Daphne frown slightly at the mention of their brunette friend, wondering what Tracey had actually done.

"Daphne, Harry!" Came a voice from ahead, pulling both of them from their thoughts.

Tracey came bouncing down the set of stairs, a small bandage over her wolpertinger wound. Despite herself, Daphne smiled at her pleasant friend, gladdened to see her out and about.

"Pomfrey let me out." She said cheerfully, pointing proudly at her mid-forearm. "Gonna have a scar from where I took that horn, but I'll be fine."

"Even with Pomfrey's potions and spells?" Daphne asked, mildly surprised. The girl nodded.

"Magical horns. The wound leaves a mark." Tracey explained, relating what the hospital wing matron had told her.

"That sounds absolutely wicked." Said a red-headed boy who leaned his chin on Tracey's right shoulder.

"I'd rather like to see it." Said an identical boy, resting his chin on her left shoulder.

"What are you two doing?" Tracey asked, stepping towards Harry.

"We heard you were mauled by an animal." George said, shaking his hand dismissively.

"And we came to see the damage done to our sister-in-arms." Fred added, waving airily.

"Okay, so which one are you?" Harry asked, pointing to the right twin.

"My, dear Harrykins, I am Fred." George said, feigning hurt.

"No, you're George." Tracey said, smirking.

Both of the twins looked stunned.

"How-what?" Fred asked, surprised.

"Meh. Fifty-fifty chance they're lying when they say their names." Tracey shrugged, grinning.

"I- hey! That's cheating!" George said, frowning playfully.

"But very well done, we enjoy the execution of a good toss up." Fred said, chuckling.

"You do know, however," George said, smirking, "We will not fall for it again."

"Even if I get it right?" Tracey asked playfully.

"Especially then." Fred said, matching his brother's smirk.

While she continued bickering with the twins, Harry noticed Ron and some other Gryffindors, talking amongst themselves loudly enough for the hall to hear.

"So he wants us there for his _what_?" Ron asked incredulously.

"His Death-day party, Ron." Hermione explained. "A celebration or remembrance of the day he died. It's this coming Halloween, and it seems that five hundred is a big deal.

"I've heard of those. Gran says they always invite the living, but no one ever goes for more than one." Neville Longbottom, looking nervous.

"Why is that?" asked Dean Thomas, receiving a shrug from both Ron and Seamus.

"It's because the parties cater to the dead." Hermione said in a very matter-of-fact way.

"Well, it can't be that bad. Sir Nick did promise food, and you did say catering." Ron said, imagining a magnificent spread to serve at a remembrance of noteworthy people.

Soon their conversation carried away, and while Harry did feel intrigued, he pushed the thoughts aside as Daphne nudged him.

"Come on, we have class." She said with a small smile. Harry nodded and walked with her, leaving Tracey with the twins.

"Do you know why Malfoy would falsify a letter to meet up with me alone? Seems a bit of a stretch for even him." Harry said, frowning.

"Oh. Well that's because… well… of me." Daphne said quietly.

"You? What?" Harry asked, looking confused. Daphne sighed.

"I… wanted to meet up with you and talk. We've been a bit distant and I wanted to get a moment of us as we were, just us together." Daphne said, keeping a surprisingly straight face in public.

"You know I am always available to talk, especially with you." Harry said.

The crowd eyed them carefully, slimy snakes in the castle. Their faces remained void of emotion, but Harry's fingers interlocked with Daphne's said more than any look could.

Not too far behind, seeing the hand gestures shared by the two, was Tracey, feeling both hurt and worried.

OooooO

"We need to talk."

The day had gone rather uneventfully, something all four of the young Slytherins were thankful for, but there had been some kind of changed atmosphere that Harry could not pinpoint. They were in the library looking up information on McGonagall's latest class.

"Alright. Where to?" He asked, gathering his things.

"A nearby classroom." Daphne said with a frown. After Harry's last experience, it seemed distasteful, but she wanted the privacy.

Harry gestured for Daphne to lead the way, following out. A glowering Tracey began packing, ready to follow.

"Tracey." Blaise said, cautioning her.

"Out of my way! If she's doing this, then so am I." She said.

Harry followed Daphne into a nearby classroom, watching her set her things down. Before anyone could really say anything, Tracey walked in, eyeing Daphne dangerously. Daphne maintained a blank face. She had expected this, after all. Tracey, however, looked less than pleased with her blonde friend.

Harry eyed stared at them both worriedly, not sure why the room was suddenly tense. He knew that Tracey liked him, and her and Daphne were friends, so why the...

 _Oh._ The raven haired boy thought, realizing what was happening.

"You like me?" Harry asked, looking surprised.

"Yes." the girls chorused, making Harry stop, flustered.

He was in a dilemma; he liked Tracey, and he knew he felt something along those lines for Daphne, but it felt more defined with the shorter girl.

"Why?" He asked with a frown, not entirely sure why Daphne would say she was interested. Was it something she realized after Tracey had said something?

Daphne felt somewhat dumbfounded. She hadn't expected him to question it, rather accept it because of the soul bond.

Tracey on the other hand looked embarrassed, having expected the question in a more one-on-one setting.

"I uh… well…" Tracey began, looking almost uncharacteristically bashful, "We've gotten along very well and I have a lot of fun with you, the little adventures."

As Tracey continued to explain, Daphne looked on sadly. Tracey was trying. To be honest with herself, the reasons she had came off as more "because" and "obsessive".

 _Maybe I need to let him have this.._ Daphne thought.

 _It's not time._

" _._... and that's pretty much why." Tracey finished, blushing.

"I- I don't know what to say…." Harry said, trying and failing to not smile.

"That was… very good reasoning, Trace. I just wanted to make sure you were serious about Harry." Daphne said, gathering her things.

"Daph… are you sure?" He asked.

Daphne nodded and walked out, leaving them alone in the empty class.

OooooO

" _Soul Blinding: Dangers and Risks of Soul Bonds._

 _Chapter One, Obsessions_.

 _Soul bound couples have tendencies to develop obsessive behaviours. This includes, but does not limit…"_

"So what does that mean, exactly?" Blaise asked, frowning.

"After mum and dad explained the soul bond situation, I did a lot of research on it especially about advantages, risks and such." She said.

"And…?" Blaise questioned.

"The first side-effect is you get enthralled about the other person." Daphne explained.

"I see...you're okay with this?" Blaise asked, eyeing Harry and Tracey sitting next to each other as they walked into the Slytherin common room. They were holding hands, making Daphne grimace and look away.

"No! However, neither of us really knows how to be in a relationship so it doesn't seem like the best time to go for it." Daphne sighed. "At least it's someone we can trust."

Blaise nodded, but remained silent. He bid good night to Daphne and his friends, walking to his room.

Blaise put his book bag on the hanger he put up, smirking at the person on his bed.

"Zabini. We need to talk." Said Draco Malfoy.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: Enemies of the Heir, Beware.**

 _Kill… I want to hurt… So… so hungry… I must… soon… feed soon… soon… tear… rip it apart... rip it… apart… kill it… I want… to kill… Kill… I want to kill… KILL!_

Harry woke up, sweating. He stared around his dormitory, trying to understand what just happened. He could feel the last word ringing in his ears; a scream that he couldn't find an origination from.

"It was just a dream, Potter… get it together." He chastised himself, sure he'd awakened from a nightmare of some sort.

Halloween had come, along with the decorations. Most of the castle was decorated, jack-o-lanterns with changing faces smirked, frowned and screamed in delight at those who walked by. Some of the enchanted pumpkins had been further bewitched by the Weasley twins to follow students around and burst into flames.

Freshly showered and dressed, Harry walked into the Slytherin common room, meeting his friends. Tracey smiled and hugged him, sitting next to him. Daphne and Blaise sat on opposite chairs, Daphne looking somewhat apologetic, Blaise was reading a weekend edition of the Daily Prophet, looking up and nodding at Harry.

"Ready for the day then?" Daphne asked, clearing her face of real expression. Harry followed suit and nodded, making Tracey raise an eyebrow.

"Why ready?" she asked, looking at the raven haired boy. He looked at Daphne, who nodded.

"I'm sure Blaise already knows, but Halloween marks the anniversary of my parents deaths." Harry said.

Blaise nodded his acknowledgement, newspaper down. Tracey looked somewhat taken aback.

"I should've known, Harry; I'm sorry." She said with worry.

"Trace, it's okay. I don't remember them much. Mostly only have a few flashes here and there." Harry said, smiling softly.

Tracey nodded, glad she hasn't bothered her… friend?

 _I guess we haven't really talked about us since we talked with Daphne._ Tracey realized, frowning slowly.

"I'm gonna head to the library; I've got to catch up some material that I'm not understanding from Flitwick." Daphne said, sighing and pointing at her book bag.

"What are you up to?" Harry asked Blaise.

"I've got an unwanted but necessary meeting with Weasley." He said bitterly.

That didn't surprise them, as he wouldn't stop talking about how close he was getting to besting Ron at Wizard's Chess. As much as Blaise would switch up his game, Weasley would adjust accordingly. This was something Zabini did not take lightly.

"So, it's just us today." Tracey said happily.

"You seem happy about that." Harry noted dully.

"O-oh. Yeah…" Tracey said, feeling as though she'd misread the situation. She looked up to see Harry grinning playfully. "You prick!"

"I'm sorry, I was just being mean." Harry chuckled, letting Tracey playfully swat his arm.

"Where to then?" She asked, smiling.

"Let's get breakfast? I'm famished." Harry said, taking her hand.

"Let's go then." She said, leading the way.

As they headed out, a snide voice came from behind.

'Oh, look. Potter and his second choice. What happened? Zabini didn't wanna hold hands?" Malfoy said rudely, walking into the common room.

"Is someone jealous they haven't been getting attention? I'm sorry Draco; I'll make it up to you." Harry responded, walking out with Tracey.

"Aww, we didn't see his face of indignation." Tracey grinned.

"Nah, but we'll let the little creep stew." Harry said with a mischievous smile.

"So er… I was hoping we could talk." Tracey said after a while.

"Sure?" Harry questioned. He saw her fidget with her own fingers, trying to figure out which words to use.

"I just… well… we almost kissed." Tracey said, frowning slightly. Harry nodded slowly. "And then I confessed that and why I like you. But… what now? Are we just friends or…?"

"I actually had a thought on that." Harry said, looking embarrassed for a moment so brief that Tracey thought she imagined it.

"And it was what, Harry?" She asked curiously.

"I uh… well, I wanted to ask you something." He said, looking ahead.

Tracey looked down, blushing. She could feel her heartbeat speed up and was glad she wasn't holding Harry's hand.

"Ask away." She said, secretly proud she didn't stutter.

"Tracey Davis…" Harry began, taking her hand.

OooooO

 _It's quiet._ He thought.

In the distance, he could hear the crowds. Happy people, kids enjoying the Halloween night festivities.

 _Let them. They will soon be silenced._

He walked on, the empty corridor almost forgotten about by anyone other than students looking for places to "hang out" alone.

He huffed.

"Such a waste, human companionship. An unnecessary diversion. One need only focus on power, and the appropriate way to attain it quietly." He said, smiling coldly. "Don't you agree, Luna?"

"I don't know." Luna Lovegood said, looking dreamy as usual, but if anyone noticed, absent.

"Of course. But you will know." The boy said, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"I will." Luna said, nodding slowly.

"Good girl. Now, let me show you something…" He said, his voice trailing off.

"Huh?" Luna said, looking around. "Wha-what? Where am I?"

The blonde looked around, confused.

"Maybe it was the wrackspurts?" she asked herself, looking around.

A noise came from behind her, calling her attention immediately.

The castle had enchanted torches that lit magically as they were needed. Several around her were on, but she realized that the lights behind her had been slowly going out.

"That's… not good." Luna said meekly, seeing the torches darken towards her.

Without another word, she ran, the lights behind her going out faster. Her heart was pounding in her chest, fear making her turn every so often. Her mind came up with all sorts of shapes, creatures and other horrors chasing her.

She ran up some flights of stairs, through darkened corridors that would light up and go out almost as quickly.

"Please… Please, no…" she begged, crying in terror.

The only sounds coming were her footsteps, but that didn't help. The darkness loomed, getting closer. She took another staircase, running into something with a shrill scream.

The massive shape twisted, staying dark despite the magical torches. Now Luna sat, staring at the darkened indistinguishable form. The only light in the area was the single torch on the wall.

"You will know." The voice came, just as the last light dimmed.

Not a sound disturbed the dark and silence.

OoooO

"There's really no way around it, then." Daphne said with a sigh.

"I'm not entirely sure that's a bad thing." Hermione said, receiving a nod from Susan Bones.

"Why not?" Daphne asked, reading over the notes again.

"You're trying to express a process that can't be sped up. You can't cut corners in spell casting, and Charms require exact movements." Susan explained.

"And that's a good thing. Every spell requires an incantation and wand movement, and through work, you can do without incantations, but unless you somehow learn wandless magic, you can't do spells without the movements." Hermione said.

"Why is that good?" Daphne said moving her wand as closely to the movements as needed.

"Well, not all spells are good. There are dangerous spells out there that can be done nonverbally, but if you can identify the movement…" Susan explained, receiving nods from the other two girls.

"Then you can tell if you can block or if you need to dodge." Daphne concluded, checking her movements.

"Exactly!" Hermione said, looking pleased.

Daphne studied the movements with her study group, chatting quietly in between.

After some time, Hermione suddenly looked worried.

"What time is it?" She asked.

"Almost eight, I think. Why?" Susan asked.

"I've something to do right now; I told Ron to make sure he and the boys were ready by eight!" Hermione said, gathering her things hurriedly.

With a brief farewell, she quickly left, leaving Daphne and Susan looking amused and confused, respectively.

"What do you think she has to do?" Susan asked, eyeing the door in case it was a joke.

"No idea." Daphne said, shrugging.

OooooO

"Where did they go?" Daphne asked, frowning.

"I believe Ronnikins and his lot just left." Fred said, smirking.

"I think, mayhaps, if we shut up, we can hear Ronny." George said, holding a finger to his lips.

Sure enough, Daphne could hear Ron complaining, just far enough to not make out his words, but close enough to know the voice.

"You guys are lifesavers, cheers." Daphne said, taking off in the direction of the loud mouthed red head.

She followed his echoes as he and his friends walked, surprised at how opinionated the boy was.

 _How- no. Why does she put up with him?_ Daphne thought, listening to Ron speaking.

"… And that's how you just _know_ Malfoy is a poof." Ron finished, to the cheers of his friends.

"Honestly, Ron, can't you find a way to talk without being so vulgar?" Hermione asked, clearly upset.

"Dunno how you can stand it, hangin' around the snakes. You know they'll bite when you don't expect it." Ron argued.

"I don't see you complain when you play chess with Blaise or when you constantly try to get Harry's attention." Hermione countered.

"Damn, she got you, mate." Dean Thomas said, barely heard over the collective "ohh" from the rest of the boys.

"Zabini is the only one worth playing chess with at the castle." Ron said, crossing his arms. "Outside of that, he's a slimy snake, just like the rest of them."

"And Harry?" Daphne asked, glowering at the boy.

The Gryffindor group stopped, the boys shrinking back under Daphne's cold stare. Hermione saw her group's reaction and huffed.

"Honestly, it's like you never get scolded. Why are you here, Daphne?" Hermione asked curiously.

"You forgot your charms book when you left and I've been looking for you you return it. Of course, as a "slimy snake", I expect some form of payback." Daphne said, glaring at Ron. He opened his mouth to protest, but quickly found he had no words. Daphne opened her bag and handed Hermione the well thumbed copy of their school book.

"Thank you, Daphne. I'm sorry for any obscenity from Ronald." Hermione said, apologizing for her friend.

"It's fine. If it helps, a lot of us do think the same way of Malfoy." Daphne said with a noncommittal shrug.

"See?" Ron said triumphantly, shrinking back as Daphne glared again.

"So," Daphne said, turning to Hermione, "Why are you lot down here?"

"It's Sir Nicholas's death day party, and we were invited." Hermione said, looking awkward.

"I've never been to one." Daphne said, looking surprised. "Are you the only living guests?"

"As far as I know, would you like to join us?" Hermione said, smiling kindly.

"Hermione!" Ron whined, signaling his meaning with obvious head movements.

"I would be delighted to, Hermione." Daphne said, shoving Ron aside. "Lead the way."

Daphne and Hermione walked, talking among themselves, Ron, Neville, Seamus, and Dean trailing behind, grumbling together. As they approached the celebration of death, the wall torches were slowly changed for candles with eerie blue flames.

"Wicked." Ron breathed, eyeing them.

"Indeed. Welcome, children." Said the Gryffindor Ghost, Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, affectionately known as Nearly-Headless Nick.

Daphne gasped slightly as they were brought into a massive room filled with more ghosts than she would have believed. The room practically glowed a translucent blue hue, from the ghosts and the candles. Unused tables with unused chairs were set up, their intended occupants floating around, murmuring and sighing to themselves.

"Look!" Ron said excitedly, "food!"

The boys walked quickly to the table, but stopped. As Daphne approached with Hermione, she knew why.

"It… It's all spoiled." Ron complained.

OoooO

Blaise Zabini walked into the Slytherin common room, sighing tiredly. Making connections was a very tiresome business, but he promised his mother the effort. Plus losing to Ron in chess _again_ put him in a very bad mood, making it very difficult.

Various students were sitting around talking, others more proactive in their time. He saw Harry and Tracey sitting, the former having a conversation with Marcus Flint.

"So for the next game, make sure you don't shit this up." Marcus said with a mean smile.

"I know; I got it." Harry said with a nod.

Marcus returned the nod and walked off, signaling Montague to follow. Blaise approached and sat at his usual spot, greeting his friends.

"Finally happened then?" Blaise asked, pointing at the two of them.

"What do you mean "finally"?" Tracey asked with a frown.

"Trust me, half the Slytherin house saw this one coming, even Crabbe and Goyle didn't miss it." Blaise said, smirking. Tracey looked indignant but didn't reply.

"That obvious then?" Harry asked, amused. Blaise nodded.

"Where's Greengrass?" Blaise asked, realizing their fourth number was missing.

"We kinda figured she'd be with you, since we didn't find her or her study group in the library." Tracey said, looking at Blaise.

"She wasn't there? Is she in her room?" Zabini asked.

"We didn't see her come in since we came back, but I guess maybe she came back early?" Harry said, looking at Tracey. With an understanding nod, the brunette got up and headed to the blonde's dorm.

"Did you take her to the ramparts you found with Lovegood?" Blaise asked, smirking.

"Zabini, you wound me. I've more class than that. Besides, Luna's been there a lot recently and I didn't want to ruin the mood. No offense to Luna, her energy just wouldn't have been helpful." Harry said.

"I guess that's true. Speaking of her, something happened to Luna." Blaise said.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, attentive.

"Not sure. They found her passed out and crumpled up by the Ravenclaw room door." He said, nodding slowly.

"What? Is she okay?" Harry asked, shocked.

"I'm not sure; she's in the hospital wing." Zabini said.

"I'm gonna check on her." Harry said, heading out without waiting for a response.

The boy left quickly, out the door well before Tracey came back from the dorms.

"Daphne isn't here." Tracey said, looking for Harry. "Where'd he go?"

"Lovegood was attacked, he went to check on her." Zabini explained.

"What?! What happened?" Tracey demanded, both worried and hungry for the gossip.

OooooO

Harry sighed, walking out of the hospital wing. After assuring Madame Pomfrey he wasn't injured, he checked up on Luna. There was nasty bruising along her arms and neck, which Madame Pomfrey's medicine was taking much longer than usual to heal. The matron assured the boy that while the assault was physical, it wasn't anything more sinister.

Relieved, but not happy, he'd walked out, wondering who would do something this horrible to her. As he absent-mindedly walked back to Slytherin House, he heard a distant voice. Harry looked up, but instantly realized the four way corridor he found himself at was entirely empty. The torches burned brightly, showing not a soul in any direction.

"Hello?" Harry called, eyeing the various decorations someone could hide behind.

 _Silence._

Aftera moment, he shrugged it off uneasily. It was Halloween, maybe just one of the Twins' pranks.

 _It's been so long… So… So hungry…._

"What?" Harry said, looking around. His wand was drawn, looking up and down the hall warily.

 _So… so hungry…._

The voice seemed to go further away.

"No, come back!" Harry called, quickly running down the way the voice came from.

 _It's been so long… Finally… I can eat… I can kill… I can… I can kill… Kill… KILL!_

The voice grew in volume, sounding happy at the prospect of killing.

"No. No, no no…" Harry said, paling. He ran faster, trying to catch up with the voice. He didn't know what it was, but one thing was clear: it was going to kill.

 _Is that… that smell… prey…_

"No!" Harry said, breathless.

 _I smell blood… the delicious blood… feed… time to feed…._

"Dammit!" Harry cried, turning a corner. He could hear the voice; it echoed as he got closer.

"Harry?"

The boy almost fell over as he stopped, someone calling his name throwing him off.

"What?" He said dumbly, trying to register what he was seeing in his panic.

"What's wrong?" Daphne said, looking worriedly at her friend.

"Daph, the voice." Harry said, breathing hard.

"The invisible one?" She asked. He nodded quickly.

"We need to hurry; it's gonna hurt someone." Harry said, quickly taking off the corridor.

"What? Harry, wait!" Daphne said, running after him.

 _So good… so good… I will rip… I will tear your flesh…_

"Hurry!" the boy called, running towards the voice.

The carpet began to squish under their feet, the deep burgundy carpet looking like a stream of blood along the floor. There was a lot of water on the floor, but he couldn't worry about that now. Someone was in danger.

 _So… good…._

The voice faded away with those last words echoing madly in his ears. Harry huffed as he slowed down, looking around the area for anything out of place. Daphne had caught up, wand drawn. Sbe didn't know what was happening, but she knew something was wrong since every inch of her screamed for her to run.

"What happened?" she whispered almost inaudibly, scanning the corridor carefully.

"Dunno… something isn't right." Harry said nervously.

He hadn't felt this scared even when he faced Voldemort last year, but now he could almost literally feel his hair on end, his throat was dry, and he felt parched.

"Harry… there's something written on that wall…" Daphne said slowly, paling.

Harry looked at where Daphne had pointed to.

"Is… is that blood?" He breathed.

"Harry… let's go… please." Daphne begged quietly. Harry briskly shook his head, inching his way to the brilliant red stains on the wall. She followed, her heart pounding so loudly she was sure Harry could hear it. She took his hand shakily, and they walked together slowly.

The bloody text on the wall slowly became clearer.

 _ **The Chamber of Secrets has been opened.**_

 _ **Enemies of the Heir, beware.**_

 _ **It has begun**_

The final letter trailed off, falling in the direction of a mangled, bloody mess that lay under it.

"It killed someone." Harry choked out, snow white out of shock and fear.

"An animal." Daphne said quietly, pointing to the tail some ways down the corridor.

"The Chamber of Secrets is open…" Harry said, reading the wall.

A sudden loud sound made them both yelp and jump, realizing it was several doors opening.

"Thank you for enjoying our Halloween festival!" Fred called happily, people streaming out of the doors opened.

A scream rang out as attention was brought to the remains and the bloody remains.

OooooO

In the darkened hospital wing, Luna lay asleep. Not a sound was heard, save for a distant but echoing commotion. A boy approached the sleeping girl, seeming to step out of the shadows themselves.

"See, Luna? Fear is a glorious power." The boy said, smiling darkly.

Luna's unconscious form snapped up in bed.

"Yes. I see." She said monotonous.

"Now, rest. You won't be aware you remember this when you wake." The boy said, sitting on her bed. He leaned in, kissed the girl and he faded, turning into a smokey substance that entered Luna through her slightly parted lips. Her chest heaved and raised, and with a shudder, she fell back into bed and was still. Suddenly her eyes snapped open, a much larger and darker smoke rushed from her mouth and nose with a loud, pained scream. Luna screamed until her voice died and caught in her own throat.

Madame Pomfrey ran out, panicking and trying to see what was wrong. She hadn't noticed that the bruising had gone.

"You will know."


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: Antagonized and Annoyed**

Dumbledore sighed and rubbed his head, eyes closed. He sat alone in his office, some time well in the morning hours. His office was alive with the sound of his utensils and various items, puffing, whirring, and otherwise making noise. His familiar, Fawkes, sat in his perch, looking at the headmaster knowingly.

"I fear so, old friend. It seems someone is claiming the Chamber of Secrets is opened once more. I do believe, however, one dead cat, important as she may have been, does not signify much." Dumbledore said, stroking his beard.

Fawkes trilled slowly, understanding the situation was not good.

"Indeed. This situation needs to be watched closely." Dumbledore said.

A quiet knock was on the door, just loud enough to be heard over the instruments in the room.

"Come in." he said, straightening out on his desk.

Snape and McGonagall walked in, both looking stressed.

"How did it go?" The headmaster asked, eyeing his tired friends.

"I managed to get Argus to stop crying while Severus got everyone to their common rooms quickly and safely." McGonagall said, with a slightly annoyed expression.

"Potter and Greengrass were both innocent, wrong place at the wrong time. Unfortunately, there was not enough of his… pet, to check for curses or other magic." Snape said looking sullen.

"But the tail was intact." Dumbledore said with a frown. Snape nodded with a look of pain. "Ahh… Gilderoy tried helping, didn't he?"

"And blasted the damn tail apart!" Snape said angrily. "Filch was glad he'd at least be able to bury whatever he had left until that."

McGonagall gave an awkward look, signaling her agreement.

"Minerva?" Dumbledore asked, seeing the look on her face.

"I still don't understand why Lockhart is here. He's just so…" McGonagall began.

"Annoying? Full of himself? Incompetent? Useless? Possibly making the students even more stupid?" Snape asked, smirking at his "helpfulness".

McGonagall looked at the headmaster and nodded.

"There is a point of having him here, Minerva." The headmaster said. "I am very aware that he is a fraud, and he will be exposed."

"So, what? We let him make an arse of himself and us, while we wait for you to expose him, how?" Snape asked, frowning.

"No, Severus. I do not understand why you let him push into your fields of expertise. You are highly renowned professionals, after all." Dumbledore said with a smile.

"Oh, goodness. He's so dumb we've been nice out of pity." McGonagall realized, looking surprised. Even Snape gave a bit of a look.

Dumbledore nodded, looking pleased.

"I see. Very well then, Albus." McGonagall said.

"I understand, sir." Snape said, almost smiling.

"Albus, about the Chamber…" McGonagall said, looking worried.

"As it stands, there is no reason to believe that it exists in the first place, or that anything, forgive my saying, inherently evil would be inside of it." Dumbledore sighed.

"But Mrs. Norris?" She asked, visibly upset.

"Unfortunately, my dear friend, Argus is not well liked by the students, nor are familiars being targeted anything new. Until we know who the culprit could have been, or at least an idea as to why this happened, we must take it as a cruel prank." The headmaster explained with a sad smile.

"Very well, Albus." McGonagall sighed, looking unconvinced. With a quick farewell, she headed back to her quarters.

Snape stared at the door for a moment.

"The Dark Lord always claimed he'd been within the Chamber." Snape said, looking back at Dumbledore.

"I am aware, Severus, but unlike his other accomplishments, Tom never gave any evidences that the Chamber was more than an empty brag." Dumbledore said, carefully.

"Didn't someone claim the Chamber opened back when they were a student?" Snape asked.

"Yes and the death that followed was blamed on poor Hagrid." Dumbledore said, sadly.

"I don't understand how, though." Snape said, eyeing the headmaster.

"Because, Hagrid was different. And well…" the elder wizard said, trailing off slightly.

"Well, what?" the potions master asked.

"It is said a fearsome beast rests within the Chamber of Salazar Slytherin. Who else would have interest in such a beast, other than the boy who owned a giant spider?"

OoooO

The next few days at Hogwarts were filled with gossip. Some of the more studious students had delved into whatever they could find on the myth of the Chamber.

Filch aided in keeping the memory of the attack fresh by almost religiously standing on guard by where Mrs. Norris had been found. He'd been red-eyed from crying and lashed out at students who seemed too happy.

"They're glad she's gone!" Filch cried as McGonagall ushered him away.

"No one is glad about that, Argus. You must remember that life goes on, tragedy or not." She said, supportingly.

Hermione looked upset as she walked down the stairs from the library.

"I'm sorry if I was a bother, Daphne, but thank you for your help." Hermione said with a half-smile.

"It's alright. Your notes from Binn's class helped, so thank you." Daphne said with a nod.

Susan Bones echoed the praise, and with a smile, all three parted ways. Daphne walked over to Harry, who was walking from the common room.

"How'd it go?" Harry asked, smiling at his friend quickly.

"Frustrating." Daphne said with a frown. "Granger, Bones, and I checked the library. Outside of " _Hogwarts, A History",_ there is no mention of it anywhere."

"What did the book say?" Harry asked, interested.

"Practically nothing. It claimed that the Chamber was built in secret from the other founders, but that's it." She recounted.

"Well, I'm on my way to the Owlery to send a letter out to Cyrus and see if maybe he knew anything." Harry said, showing her an envelope.

"Of course, the library at home might have something different." Daphne said, with a smile.

After a brief walk, they found Hedwig, who hooted pleasantly at the children.

"Here you go, girl." Harry said, tying the letter to the bird.

Hedwig hooted happily as they both gave her attention.

"Take this to my dad, please." Daphne said.

With a small screech, Hedwig flapped her wings and flew out.

"We need to hurry, class begins soon." Harry said, sighing.

They had History of Magic with the Gryffindors, which wasn't an issue. However, the issue was the educator, Professor Binns. This was a class taught by a ghost teacher, who had been doing this for so long that death hadn't had a single effect on his teaching. Unfortunately, death hadn't made him more interesting either. He spoke slowly with clear enunciation, making him sound monotonous.

The only people who managed to not fall asleep in class were Blaise and Hermione, the latter not being surprising, but the former was.

They walked into class and sat down, getting ready to listen to the teacher. As he began, something unusual happened.

"Professor?" Hermione asked, hand raised, doing something no student had ever done in his class: asking a question.

"Yes, Miss Granger?" the wizened ghost asked.

"I wanted to ask what you knew about the Chamber of Secrets." She asked.

Suddenly, there were no bored faces; everyone was alert and paying more attention than they had ever put into the class. A brief argument about facts later, and the teacher relented, wanting to get the superfluous conversation over with.

"The Chamber of Secrets is an old legend dating back to the creation and formation of Hogwarts." Binns began.

OoooO

"Dammit! Sirius, it's not working!" Bella shrieked.

Her voice pierced the silence, scaring the man in the opposite cell almost as much as the demons that haunted Azkaban did.

"Bella, shut up! Are you _trying_ to get us caught?" Sirius asked in a whisper-yell.

"I can't bloody hear you." Bellatrix said with a glare, crossing her arms.

Sirius sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Bella, you need to take a breath and relax." He said, exasperated.

"DON'T TELL ME TO RELAX!" She screeched, tossing a pebble at her cousin.

A sudden chill made both of them back up from their cell doors as dark smokey shapes gusted in through the corridor, greyed and molted hands slamming into the cell bars. After the initial clanging from the metal grates being slammed echoed away, the eerie and absolute silence the Dementors brought was the most unnerving sound. The dark creatures floated silently by the doors for a moment before slowly releasing the bars and gliding away. They retreated back into the shadows from whence they came, and all was still once more..

Bellatrix approached her door, looking paler than usual. Sirius had gotten closer as well, seeing his cousin, he chuckled.

"What the _hell_ could be funny at this point in time, Black?" She demanded.

"Told you to keep it down." He smirked. "Also calm it, or you'll remain a Lestrange after we escape, too."

OoooO

For once, it seemed like a rather calm week. After the attack, a lot of rumors and wild conspiracies about the Chamber and its supposed heir arose, some claiming it to be Harry, others believed it was Daphne. A lot of the Gryffindors seemed convinced Malfoy was the heir, which he used as a way to bully others around until Snape put a severe end to his fun.

Everyone seemed to be slowly coming down from this high, everyone but Draco. He had told his father, who seemed surprised. He even sent a letter faster than Draco expected:

 _Draco, thank you for keeping me updated on the happenings at school._

 _I will be doing my best to keep the situation monitored and working as we spoke._

 _For the time being, lay low._

 _Our deal will be maintained, but this development has me worried. The Chamber should_

 _not be opening, and I am hoping this is a terribly played practical joke._

Meanwhile, Lucius Malfoy was having an issue. He had done a rather decent job of distancing himself from the fallout and dangers of the Dark Lord's fall. He managed to salvage his empire and rebuild bigger. After both Sirius Black and Bellatrix Lestrange had been arrested, the direction of the Black fortune and ministry seats had been placed under his control, thanks to his wife being the only legitimate heir to the fortune. Her business wit had saved them as much as her skills with a wand had.

" _Dear, the goblins made it clear, Sirius is the only heir to the Black fortune, but so long as he's imprisoned and without a will or heir himself, we run things by proxy."_ Narcissa had said.

 _And I've made damn sure from both Fudge and his predecessor, Black will rot in his cell._ Lucius thought triumphantly.

"Luke?" said a familiar voice.

Lucius looked away from the fireplace in his study to see his wife, smiling softly at him.

"Yes, dear?" He asked, smiling warmly.

"Are you worried about it?" she said, referencing the small black book.

Lucius' smile shrunk and he nodded, sighing.

"I would feel a lot less worried if I knew what it was." Lucius said, "Did you read the letter Draco sent?"

"I did. Do we have any reason to worry that the Chamber is real?" Narcissa asked.

"The Dark Lord claimed it was." He said, eyeing the Dark Mark on his forearm distastefully.

"So there's a good chance it was but a brag." Narcissa tried.

"I sincerely wish. I remember the last time the Chamber opened, people died." Lucius frowned.

"But that was in panic. People were attacking those they thought the Heir was." Narcissa said.

"Mostly. There was one…" Lucius said, shuddering. "The body. Dear Merlin, love. Even Crouch and Dolohov weren't this bad together."

"What happened?" She asked.

"I dunno, unfortunately. Only the Dark Lord knew. It was some… _thing_ in the Chamber he controlled." Lucius said.

"So if it was controlled by him, what's the issue?" Narcissa asked.

"If the Dark Lord isn't in charge of it now, who or what is?" Lucius asked, worried.

OoooO

"So, do you think the Chamber is real?" Tracey asked, holding Harry's hand.

His response was a non-committal shrug.

"I dunno. Dumbledore said that he searched for it and if someone like him can't find it, then I doubt it." Blaise said.

"A Slytherin praising Dumbledore?" Daphne asked, with a playful smile.

"Oh, come off it! Dumbledore might not be liked within Slytherin and its pupils, but his skill and knowledge is undeniable." Blaise said.

"Well, either way, I'm sure whatever attacked Filch's cat wasn't human." Daphne said.

"How are you so sure?" Harry asked.

"She was ripped to shreds, even if it was some arse with all manner of dark curses, the blood was spattered around so…" Daphne said, shuddering at the thought.

Harry and Blaise nodded.

"We're here." Tracey said, looking at the ominous writing on the wall.

Luckily, Filch wasn't in the area, allowing them freedom to explore the scene.

"Do you see anything out of place?" Daphne asked, looking around the writing, her eyes darting back to the bloody words every so often.

After a moment, Blaise spoke up.

"Just this." He said, pointing at the nearest window.

In the slight breeze and sunlight, they could see a thread running out the window, which was punctuated by someone falling over. They turned to see Daphne quickly pick herself up and look back to the wall.

"Are you okay?" Tracey asked worriedly.

"Yeah." She said quickly, not looking away from the words.

"What's wrong?" Tracey questioned, seeing a shiver run by her.

"Nothing." Daphne snapped.

"She doesn't like spiders." Harry said after Blaise and Tracey turned to him.

Tracey giggled but stopped as Daphne glared at her.

"Wasn't there a literal pool of water here?" Daphne asked, changing the topic.

"Yeah...guess they cleaned that at least." Harry said.

"Where would so much water come from?" Daphne asked.

"Uh, from the bathroom?" Tracey said with a grin, pointing at a bathroom door just down the hall.

Blaise looked around with a frown, walking up and down the corridor, checking the doors as he did so.

"What is it?" Harry asked.

"Does anyone find it weird that this is the only bathroom this whole corridor has? There's no boy's room around." He pointed out.

"Aww, does Blaise have to go wee-wee?" Tracey asked, with a giggle.

"Ha. Ha. Ha. Funny. No, I just think it's odd." Blaise said.

He walked to the bathroom and was about to walk in, but Daphne swatted his hands away.

"Zabini, this is the girl's room; you can't just walk in." She said, crossing her arms.

"Greengrass, this is Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. It's as abandoned and unused as half this castle." Zabini said, walking into the bathroom.

The bathroom was in shambles, which was putting it nicely. The stalls were in desperate need of repair, some of the doors hanging by single hinges, tiles cracked and chipped, missing entirely in spots. The mirrors and sinks were cracked and broken. The place would look scary were it not for the light shining in.

Daphne scoffed at a broken sign on the floor that read "out of order." It was very evident that any attempts to repair this bathroom had been given up on long ago.

"You aren't girls." A voice above them said.

The foursome looked up to see a ghost of a pale girl sitting over the door on a ledge. She looked like she'd been crying, wearing a slightly dated Hogwarts uniform. She glided down, flying just over Harry's eye level.

"This is a girl's bathroom." She sniffled.

"You must be Myrtle." Tracey said with a smile. "We heard about you and wanted to meet you."

"Sure we did." Blaise muttered to Harry.

This didn't go unnoticed by the ghost, who wailed and made a scene before flying into a stall with a huge splash of water from the toilets.

"I'm surprised those still have water." Blaise commented.

"And I'm very surprised to see four of my students so foolishly meandering about." Said a soft voice behind them.

They turned to see their Head of House, Snape standing behind them, his face blank.

"Why are you here?" he asked carefully, not moving his eyes from them.

"We were just-" Tracey began.

"I am expecting the truth, Miss Davis, or you will quickly find out how little tolerance for this I've got." The professor said, cutting her off.

Tracey paled and nodded.

"We were curious if we could figure out what happened, sir." Daphne said, looking her instructor in the eyes.

"This is very imprudent of you four, especially with Potter here. Five points from each of you. Now leave, before you also get letters home." He said, stepping to the side, letting the children run out.

"Be very careful. Sometimes the answers you seek aren't what you want." Snape warned ominously, walking out behind them.

As they walked away, Tracey had a thought.

"I know this sounds dumb, but I'm curious. Do you think there's anything to the rumors about Malfoy are true?" she asked.

"While I doubt it, why do you ask?" Harry asked her.

"Figured we could find out." She said simply.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: Bludgeoning the Fates**

"This is definitely not good, old boy." Gilderoy Lockhart said to himself, yawning. It was early morning and he had gotten out of bed to clean his face and plan his outfit. The past week had taken a rather unfortunate turn for him, and truth be told, he wasn't entirely sure why. The other teachers began ignoring and entirely contradicting his help. In the case of Professor Snape, out right mocking him. He was very unhappy with it, but shrugged it off.

He began his light morning work out before getting to his lesson plans.

"Less creatures." Lockhart said with a sigh. His magical beasts had an unwanted tendency to cause bodily harm and his publicist had asked him to tone it down, much to his own annoyance.

Solving this would require actual work, something he hadn't done in a very long time. He began pouring over the work his predecessors had done, trying to figure out how to best succeed in being an educator. He would show them he could do it, or be damned trying.

OoooO

"Why do I fear him?" the boy asked, scoffing.

Luna nodded, curious. The boy smiled back.

"My dear, it isn't fear. It's… respect. Begrudging, angry respect." He said, smiling.

"Why is that?" she asked.

"Dumbledore is very intelligent. People assume he's lost his edge in old age, but that couldn't be further from the truth." The boy said, frowning slightly.

"I hear he's a bit senile and insane." Luna said.

"That's just a front. Dumbledore has always liked learning, and never has he stopped. He uses his charm and apparent age as a diffuser. However, watch him. Look at his eyes; he's always watching. Always." He said.

"That's why you respect him?" Luna asked.

"Yes, he has a powerful mind and an undeniable and well earned reputation. " He said.

"I thought you feared him because he was powerful." Luna said. The boy visibly flinched.

"I wouldn't know…" The boy admitted quietly.

"What? Why not?" Luna asked, interested. The boy sighed.

"Despite the rumors and such, I never actually crossed wands with him." The boy said, frowning.

"Really? That's quite funny." Luna said.

"I-what?" the boy asked, looking surprised.

"The whole world is convinced that you're some big monster that's terrified of another man you've never actually fought." Luna giggled.

"I… I guess that makes sense." He said with a smile.

He frowned and held his head. "Ow, damn."

"Do you have to go?" Luna asked, looking upset.

"It seems so. Sorry." He said, frowning.

"It's okay. I'll see you soon." She said, smiling.

He knew better. And he was surprised, both pleasantly and not, to find he felt bad about it.

"Goodbye, Luna." He said slowly.

"See you soon, Tom." Luna said with a dreamy smile.

Luna sat up off the floor and looked around the abandoned bathroom she sat in. She enjoyed her conversations with Tom. He reminded her of Harry. Guarded, but surprisingly willing and wanting to open up. She picked up the small black book that laid on the floor.

She peeked out, smiling that Filch was still asleep. With a small hum, she skipped back to the Ravenclaw House.

OooooO

"Class! I need a short essay on werewolves and how I defeated them in my book." Lockhart said with a smile. "Harry!"

Daphne tried her hardest to keep a straight face as Lockhart tried to coach Harry on the "finer" points of being a Quidditch Seeker while her and her friends walked down the hall.

"Good luck in your match with Gryffindor tomorrow!" Lockhart called as Harry half ran away.

He quickly caught up with his friends, all who seemed very amused by his plight.

"What, you didn't want his expertise?" Blaise teased, smirking.

"Very funny, Zabini." Harry sarcastically replied, rolling his eyes.

"Are you nervous?" Tracey asked. Harry shook his head.

"Nah. Charlie Weasley's gone, and he was pretty much the only real threat the Lions had. I'm more preoccupied with how we're gonna get to talk to Malfoy and see if he knows anything about the Chamber attack." Harry said, walking down the hall.

"Leave that to me." Blaise said with a smirk.

"Great. Now we won't learn a thing." Tracey groaned.

"I heard that the attack is being labeled as a cruel prank." Daphne interrupted, not in the mood for bickering.

"I know!" Tracey said indignantly. "They're blaming the Weasley Twins even though we all know they wouldn't hurt anyone."

"It could have been an accident." Blaise said. "They did almost kill Filch himself last year."

"That was Peeve's fault." Tracey retorted.

"Well, maybe someone messed with their prank." Blaise said with a shrug.

"I know it wasn't them." Tracey said with a frown.

"How?" Blaise asked, raising his eyebrow.

Tracey pulled Harry into the nearest Weasley path, followed by Daphne and Blaise.

"Odd time for a snog." Blaise commented.

"We still haven't-" Harry said, blushing slightly.

"Yet?" Blaise finished, smirking.

"Will you two stop and look at this?" Tracey demanded, pulling a folded parchment paper into view.

"What is this?" Daphne asked, reading the various dates and comments listed.

"It's an enchanted parchment. We write down all dates and plans for pranks. As we do pranks they fade into the section here." Tracey said, pointing to what seemed to be a box. She tapped it with her wand and all the current writing faded, replaced by a sprawling list of dates.

"Are those all the pranks you've pulled?" Harry asked, looking surprised and confused. Tracey shook her head.

"This parchment was one of the Twins'. It goes back to their first year. We are getting distracted off the point; we didn't have anything at all the day Miss Norris was attacked." Tracey said, bringing up their planner.

"I guess that's true then." Blaise said.

"You actually thought so?" Daphne asked, looking surprised. Blaise shrugged.

"I was thinking more along the lines of someone messing up their prank." He said. Harry nodded.

"That makes sense. The Weasley Twins are fairly popular, but their pranks are equally disliked, especially in Slytherin." Harry said.

"Damn… I didn't think of it that way." Tracey said begrudgingly. Blaise smirked.

"You and Potter definitely belong together; heart of a Lion, both of you." He said with a chuckle.

"Wha- what? Why?" Tracey asked, looking surprised.

"Harry was so quick to stand up to the Dark Lord, who despite being weakened would still outclass any untrained opponent; that takes some serious Gryffindorian courage. You took no time at all to defend your friends in their hour of need, even to your own friends. Loyalty and courage, both of you mangey Lions." Blaise pointed out with his smirk in place.

His friends looked bashful but didn't challenge his words.

Daphne simply looked bored.

OoooO

It was foggy, making visibility an issue. Daphne sighed as she took a seat on the Quidditch pitch bleachers next to Blaise and Tracey. The two friends talked amicably, wondering how the game would pan out, how the weather would affect the game.

Daphne caught a few stray words, talks of better brooms versus overall skill.

"Harry has the slowest broom and it still outclasses anything Gryffindor has." Blaise pointed out.

"Yeah, but despite his speed, he still outperforms Malfoy at every step." Tracey replied.

Daphne tuned out Zabini's response, focusing on the green blurs moving out onto the field.

The crowd roared to life, a lot of the cheering out for the red smudges moving out as well. It was no secret that the school wasn't fond of Slytherin, so the normally whelming support for the Lions was shrugged off.

Madame Hooch gave some quick rule reminders, and one loud whistle later, the red and green figures began flying all around.

"Slytherin's Montague has the quaffle, passes it over to Pucey right over the Bludger hit by George Weasley. Pucey passes back and Montague throws the ball… right into Wood's hands!" Lee Jordan's commentary came. Cheers erupted through the stands as the Gryffindor Keeper caught the ball and tossed it to one of his chasers in one swift move. The jeers and booing from the Slytherin side were almost drowned out, even in the middle of the Slytherin stands.

Daphne looked out, ignoring the comments and chat between Blaise and Tracey. She was watching Harry, who seemed to be squinting around. His glasses were reflecting the sunlight that was piercing through the fog and clouds. The Gryffindor Seeker, Jesse Hartford, was waving nervously back and forth, switching between looking around and watching what Harry was doing.

She smiled to herself. Everyone was focused on what was going on between the keepers and chasers, but she was watching the mind games Harry was playing. He had seen how jumpy the opposing seeker was, and he would shoot out and break in random forms and directions, scaring Hartford into chasing him down.

The score was suspensefully close. Gryffindor was up, one hundred and twenty to one hundred and ten. Daphne watched Harry suddenly turn and shoot around. At first, she had a smug smile. He had seen the Golden Snitch. Unfortunately, her mood did not last. He seemed to be escaping from what she finally made out to be a bludger, bobbing and weaving in an aggressive form, trying to hit Harry.

She bit her lip with worry. She knew bludgers didn't normally behave this way. As worried as she felt, she was also proud of how well he was flying

"Looks like Potter is in it now." Jordan's commentary came, drawing the attention to Harry who was barely maneuvering around the bludger.

"Get that thing away from Potter, dammit!" Flint yelled to his beaters who were staring in surprise.

They nodded and zoomed off, Kingston hitting it away just in time to stop the ball from taking Harry out. Daphne sighed and let out a breath. Her moment of reprieve was short lived.

"It's coming back!" Tracey shouted, pointing.

Daphne, Harry, and the beaters watched in awe as the bludger u-turned in the air and shot back at Harry. She could see him telling the beaters something, because they both nodded, one of them grinning as they flew in formation around Harry, who in turn split his duties between looking for the Snitch and the unlucky chasers the offending ball would be hit into.

"That's bloody brilliant." Blaise said with a grin. "He's flying around using the constant behavior of the bludger to paint targets."

"But why's he got both Bevolent and Kingston?" Tracey asked.

"One to hit the bludger, one to keep an eye out for the other one?" Blaise offered. The girl nodded and replied.

Daphne was more focused on why Harry suddenly took off on his own. She saw him reach for something and watched as he spun, the bludger finally making contact.

Tracey swore and began screaming at him to move. Blaise was looking surprised. All of this was falling on deaf ears. Daphne' watched as Harry flew straight at the incoming bludger, turning upside down just before impact as the ball flew under him, he reached out, legs firmly around his broom.

"…. ERIN WINS! POTTER CAUGHT THE SNITCH!" Jordan's commentary came, getting through her muddled thoughts.

Cheers from Slytherin were much louder now, despite Gryffindor's booing. The other houses applauded Slytherin's victory.

Daphne watched as Harry flew down and leapt off his broom, twisting it around so it was in his arm. He was clutching his opposite arm, which seemed to be hanging in a painfully limp way.

"Potter managed to do good. That's a surprise." said Malfoy in a snide tone.

"Better than you could have, Olive." Tracey said. Daphne and Blaise watched the situation with amused looks.

"Olive?" Malfoy questioned. "What kind of halfling insult is that?"

"That's what you call an oily, greasy creep like you." Tracey said with a smirk.

Daphne grinned, Malfoy's friends even cackled at Tracey's joke.

She looked back to the pitch and saw Harry lying next to one of the goal rings, pushing his broom at Professor Lockhart, who seemed to have his wand out. A quick flash from Lockhart, and after a moment, Graham Montague rushed him out. Harry's arm seemed to hang oddly limp, even for a broken arm.

"I think we should go to the Hospital wing." Tracey said, looking worried.

OoooO

Madame Pomfrey was livid; if Harry's condition wasn't so serious, she might have actually cursed the Defence professor. Tracey was trying to look apologetic, but was having a great time with Harry's deboned arm.

"I can't believe Lockhart vanished your bones trying to mend them." Tracey giggled, picking up his arm which drooped like a wet noodle.

"Tracey, stop that." Daphne snapped, shuddering at the oddly sloshing sound his arm made as it landed back on the bed.

"Fine." She said while grinning wickedly.

Tracey laid down next to Harry for a moment and began to wrap his boneless arm around herself. The three stared in a mix of amusement and disgust.

"Comfy, are we?" Madame Pomfrey asked with a look that was meant to seem stern, but the underlying humor was visible.

"Sorry." Tracey said with a giggle, untangling herself from the loose appendage.

"I can't believe this man." Madame Pomfrey said with a sigh.

"It's just boneless. You can fix that, right?" Blaise asked.

"I can, but it will be painful. I'm more annoyed with this." The healer said, grabbing Harry's arm and pulling. It stretched out much further than it should have.

"That just isn't right." Daphne said, looking sick.

"Alright, all of you out. Mister Potter will have to spend the night here so we can fix his arm." Pomfrey said.

"You'll do it all in one night?" Tracey asked.

"Of course. What kind of healer would I be if I couldn't regrow some simple bones?" She replied.

"Will you be okay?" Daphne asked, looking at Harry. He nodded.

"I'm in good hands, Daph." He said, giving her a small smile.

Daphne nodded and waited for Blaise and Tracey.

"Have a good one, mate." Zabini said, getting off the visiting chair.

"See you tomorrow." Tracey said with a smile. Harry returned it.

She gave him a hug and stopped, quickly kissing his cheek. Both Harry and Tracey blushed at the new interaction. She gave him a coy smile and walked out, following Blaise and a sullen-looking Daphne.

OoooO

Daphne was glad the individual dormitories were sound-proofed. Her screaming and angry spell work might have raised a lot of questions she didn't feel like answering. She let out an upset huff and stared at the bat-eared creature that was in the middle of the room, looking sad, apologetic, and terrified.

"Dobby. What the hell?" She asked, putting her wand down.

"Dobby is sorry, Missus Greengrass." The dirty house elf squeaked.

"Why are you here?" She asked, frowning at the small elf.

"Dobby came here to bad news. Harry Potter is still at Hogwarts." He cried.

"Yes, I'm aware." Daphne said, looking warily.

"Why didn't Harry Potter just go home when he missed the train?" He asked, looking mortified.

Daphne glared in realization.

"It was you; you kept Harry blocked at the Kings Cross station." She accused.

Dobby began shaking and cried.

"Yes, it was Dobby. Dobby tried so hard to Keep Harry Potter and his friend off the train." He cried, looking at his feet. "Dobby felt so bad he had to iron his own hands. When he heard Harry Potter was in school… oh the messes Dobby made. Dobby was flogged mercilessly."

Daphne watched as the worn out elf blew his nose out on the filthy sack that covered him. As much as she wanted to be angry, the sobbing elf painted a much too pitiful picture.

"Dobby, why are you wearing that?" She asked, eyeing him. Dobby looked at his clothes and shrugged.

"It's what Dobby's masters makes him wear." He said bitterly before shaking his head. "But that's not important. Harry Potter must go home! Dobby thought his bludger would- ack!"

Daphne looked livid, her wand out and the elf floating mid-air, wand pointed right at him.

"Your _what_?" she asked, her voice just above a dangerous whisper.

"D- Dobby jinxed the bludger and made it go after him." Dobby replied, looking afraid of the young witch.

"You _dare_ hurt him? Were you trying to kill him, you idiot?" She screamed. Dobby winced in pain, Daphne unknowingly constricting him in the air.

"M-missus, p-please don't hurt Dobby more." He begged, crying.

"Why did you do it?" She demanded, ignoring the elf's plea.

"Dobby hoped Harry Potter would be sent home. Hurt him but saves his life. Harry Potter means a lot to House Elves, and Dobby wanted to protect him." The elf cried, huffing for breath whenever her could.

"Save him from what?" She asked.

"From- from what his bad masters are planning. History is repeating itself. Dobby must save Harry Potter from the school now that the Chamber of Secrets is opened again and-" Dobby stopped, looking terrified. He fell to the ground and began smacking his head into the bed frame.

Daphne didn't realize she had let the elf drop. She was still in shock from what Dobby had just revealed.

"Bad Dobby. Stupid, stupid.." he said walking away from the frame. Daphne looked at him.

"The chamber is real." She whispered. "And it opened before? Dobby. What do you know?"

"Dobby can't say and Dobby won't say. If Missus Greengrass cares about Harry Potter at all, then please, listen; Harry Potter must go home."

Without another word, Dobby vanished, leaving Daphne with more questions she didn't have answers to.

OoooO

Tom sighed. He watched as the entrance to the Chamber slowly shut. He had called the beast within off, just before it killed a student. The creature begged for a moment before acknowledging his orders reluctantly. He felt split.

Luna had reminded him of _her._ The reason behind his rise, the reason behind his search for power. The reason for his drive to triumph over death; deceiving her felt wrong to him.

He had stood over countless opponents, some worthy, and others just sad. He had cursed his enemies into dismembering themselves for his amusement, tortured innumerable unarmed people. He had soaked in the blood of men, women, children. So why was lying to one girl, one odd, random girl, so damned difficult?

He waved his hand over the small black book he was tethered to. A picture appeared of a girl, pale, wide eyed. She was smiling happily at him, her smile somewhat vacant, like she was dreaming. Her dirty blonde hair looked very untidy, yet he found himself looking at it with an appreciative smile. In the picture, a much younger version of himself entered and embraced the girl.

And they both looked so happy.

"She was young." He said.

"So was I." Myrtle said.

Tom turned to the ghost girl, who looked at him impassively. He sighed.

"You were warned, Myrtle. She asked you not to come out, and you did so anyways." He said quietly.

"She was my friend! I was worried about what she was up to! You didn't listen to me and got yourself caught up in this- this nonsense!" She screamed.

"This was her idea!" Tom roared angrily, his eyes flashing red.

"Why are you here, looking like this?" Myrtle asked. "Too afraid of what you've become?"

Tom looked silent. He closed his eyes and nodded, feeling his form shift to what he really looked.

"Not so pretty anymore, are you?" She said quietly. Tom sighed.

"That doesn't matter." He said, looking at Myrtle. "That bad, isn't it?"

"There's mirrors if you need confirmation." She said with a shrug. He shook his head.

"I already know it's grotesque at best." He said, glaring at her nod. She shrugged.

"Why are you back, Tom?" She asked again.

"So much for moaning." He joked weakly. She glared. "If I'm here, like this, we both know I'm not dead."

"So? You might as well be." She said with crossed arms.

"I need a body." He said uncomfortably.

"Why her?" Myrtle asked.

"It wasn't my choice; the spell picks its own host." He said softly.

"But you can break the spell." Myrtle said blankly. Tom looked surprised.

"You remembered." He said. She snorted.

"End it then." She said.

"I can't." Tom said. "I have to do this."

"Why? She's innocent in this." Myrtle said angrily.

"I know! I know and I hate it." Tom yelled. "But I'm doing this for her, and if one more innocent is what it takes, then so be it."

"You can't keep controlling it. Sooner or later it'll stop listening and do what Salazar wanted it to do." She warned.

"I know." Tom said simply.

"And?"

"And I'll deal with it then."


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13: Snaking Through**

After her talk last night with Dobby, Daphne was in a hurry to find Harry and let him know what she'd learned.

"Hey guys, come on!" Daphne said, walking into the common room quickly, looking at her friends, stopping quickly.

"Are we going?" Tracey said with a concerned look. Daphne nodded and frowned.

"Where's Blaise?" she asked, looking around.

"Our third party is off doing the Malfoy interrogation today." Tracey said in a hushed voice. Daphne nodded and walked out, bumping into someone.

"Miss Greengrass. Any particular reason you and Miss Davis are in such a hurry?" Asked their head of House, looking rather annoyed at having his students run into him.

"I'm sorry, Professor; we were simply going to check up on Harry." Daphne answered, schooling her face into it's usual, cool demeanor.

She felt a slight mental nudge and frowned. Snape looked at her and nodded, before frowning at Tracey.

"On your way then." He said, walking past them.

Daphne shrugged off her discomfort and hurried to the hospital wing, dragging a confused Tracey with her. As they arrived at the infirmary, they were treated to the sight of Harry struggling with Pomfrey about his now re-boned arm.

"Mister Potter!" Pomfrey said with an edged voice, making the boy sigh.

"Sorry, Nurse Pomfrey." Harry said through grit teeth.

"If you think you're at least ready to feed yourself, then you are dismissed." The nurse said, smirking at his discomfort.

Harry turned to see his friends and walked quickly to them.

"Thank Merlin; I was worried she wouldn't let me go." Harry said, looking relieved.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Tracey said with a grin, taking his now functional arm.

"Yes, why?" He asked.

"You haven't bent your fingers yet." Tracey said, laughing.

Harry looked down to see their hands twinned, but his fingers sticking out awkwardly. He frowned and willed his fingers to properly hold her hand, feeling slightly embarrassed.

Despite a twinge of jealousy, Daphne found herself enjoying her friends' company and behaviors.

"So, what brings you two down so quickly?" Harry asked, walking with the girls.

"Daphy has something she wants to say." Tracey said, grinning at Daphne's response to being called "Daphy"

"I- Tracey!" She said, annoyed. "Dobby came by last night."

"What did he want?" Harry asked.

Daphne quickly detailed out their conversation, leaving out the semi- torture she used on the elf. Harry and Tracey's expressions went from surprise to outright anger at the elf's idea of "saving Harry", to shock at realizing that the Chamber was real and that it had been opened.

"So Dobby's masters are behind the Chamber opening?" Tracey asked, looking worried. Daphne shrugged.

"Dobby made it sound like they know why, rather than being the what." Daphne said.

"We need to find Hermione." Harry said.

"Why?" Daphne asked.

"If anyone would know how and where to check school records, I have the feeling Granger would." He explained, setting off to the library.

OoooO

"Why is _he_ here?" Theodore Nott asked, glaring at the boy who walked in with Draco.

"Unlike Potter or Greengrass, Zabini knows how to behave like someone worth his class." Draco said, sighing at Theodore's mistrust. He understood it, but found it tedious nonetheless.

"So, what's your deal? Don't mind backstabbing your friends?" Pasny asked, smiling maliciously.

"As you know, Parkinson, I am a neutral party." Zabini said, smirking as her smile lost a few molars. "I promised my mother I'd avoid making petty rivalries and focus on connections, regardless of their origin."

"What do you want, Blaise?" Nott asked, still staring daggers.

"I heard from a little bird that _you_ , Draco, knew something interesting about the Chamber of Secrets." He said, settling into an armchair.

"I- what?" Draco said, looking startled. Blaise smirked.

"So, it's true then." Blaise said, looking entertained.

"This knowledge has a price, Zabini." Malfoy said, eyeing the boy cautiously.

"Information for information, then?" Blaise asked. Draco nodded, while Pansy and Theodore looked curious.

"I am not privy to it's location, or the actual _who_ , but I know the Chamber of Secrets is real, and that it is in fact opening again." Draco said. Blaise looked thoughtful.

"Opening? As in not already?" He asked. Draco shook his head.

"The Opening of the Chamber is a ritual." Draco explained. His father knew more, but this was as much as he had been told.

"That makes sense." Blaise muttered, thinking.

"Why the interest?" Nott asked, frowning.

"I've heard rumors that Malfoy here was the one behind the Chamber." He said nonchalantly. Draco paled. "Is that bad?"

"You've heard from Binns, right? About the Slytherin Monster the legends say lies in the Chamber?" Draco said nervously. All three nodded. "It's true and whoever opens the Chamber controls Slytherin's Beast."

"I didn't know that." Blaise breathed, somewhat enthralled by the topic.

"If someone can control _whatever_ the beast is, I don't wanna steal their thunder." Draco said, shuddering. Blaise nodded. It was logical enough; you didn't talk about your sword when someone was openly brandishing their own.

"Now, I believe I am owed some information." Malfoy said, clearing his throat.

"What do you want to know?" Blaise said, smirking.

Draco smiled.

OoooO

Daphne, Harry, and Tracey arrived to the library to see Hermione talking about various dangerous magical creatures intensely with Susan Bones, who seemed both concerned and annoyed.

"So I think, that's what it could be if it uses camouflage to get around." Hermione said, looking over the mounds of books she had opened.

"Why are you so interested in monsters?" Tracey asked, sitting across from the bushy-haired girl. Hermione looked at Tracey in surprise, and then at Harry and Daphne, who seemed to not know.

"You haven't heard? They just found Collin Creevey." Said Hermione. Harry's stomach dropped.

"Is he….?" Tracey asked. Hermione shook her head.

"No, but from what I've heard, he might as well be." Hermione said quietly. Susan looked equally upset.

"How long ago did they find him?" Harry asked.

"About thirty minutes or so." Susan answered, looking over Hermione's books. "None of these fit."

"Why not?" Hermione asked.

"They all hide to hunt or sleep or whatever, but none of them do you what happened to Colin." She said, looking over the details.

"Did he get mauled?" Daphne asked, remembering the red pulp that was once a cat.

"No, from what we've heard, he's entirely intact." Hermione said, frowning at her mistake.

"Then why is he in the hospital wing?" Tracey questioned.

"Exactly." Daphne said, a morbid silence falling across the group.

"Are you worried?" Susan asked, eyeing Hermione, who looked confused.

"No? Why?"

"Because from what Binns said, the beast was to keep out those who Salazar Slytherin found undesired." She said.

"Muggle borns." Hermione said. "I wasn't worried, but I am now."

Susan looked worried.

"Hermione, I'm so sorry; I didn't mean to worry you!" She said, upset she'd hurt her friend.

"It's fine; I'm sure it'll be okay." Hermione said, smiling, or rather trying to. "So what brings you guys all here?"

"Merlin's Beard, I almost forgot. Hermione, where would we be able to check school records?" Harry asked, thankful for someone having a focused mind.

"It depends. The school records don't become public for a while, about fifteen to twenty years, I think." Hermione recounted. "What year do you need?"

"1942, I think." Daphne said, receiving a nod from her friends.

"1941 to 42, or 42 to 43?" she asked.

"Oh, hmm… I'm not entirely sure." Harry said, thinking.

"1942 to 1943; I'll check that." Daphne said. Hermione nodded and stood up.

"It's alright, 'Mione, I'll show her. Check creatures that might have paralyzing effects." Susan said, putting her hand on Hermione's shoulder.

The witch nodded, looking at her books with a determined glint. Susan signalled for Daphne, leading her off to the Historic Record section of the library.

"So, Harry and Tracey?" She asked, looking apologetic. Daphne sighed and nodded.

"I thought you were gonna tell Harry you liked him." Susan said. Daphne nodded again.

"I did.. so did Tracey." She said bitterly. "Tracey seemed to have her feelings and thoughts more in order, and I guess Harry liked her too so…"

To her surprise, Susan turned and hugged her. She wasn't sure why, but she returned the hug.

"Sorry." She said, letting go, "I just thought I'd try to cheer you up."

Returning the favor, Daphne smiled at her.

"You're very sweet, Suze." She said, giggling before she turned to the library shelves to find the record she was looking for.

"You are too. Daph." She said, with the last word just loud enough for herself.

Susan stared at Daphne and found herself blushing.

 _She really is pretty._

OoooO

It had been a few quiet weeks; no more attacks had happened and it seemed life was going back to normal. The Hogwarts legendary rumor mill was even running out of steam on the Chamber, everyone deciding that the Chamber attack had been a sadistic, over enthusiastic history buff.

"Aaaand that about wraps up today's class." Lockhart said with a glowing smile.

Most of the students let out a breath of relief and began to walk out before they were interrupted.

"Ah, one final thing, silly me." The professor said, chuckling to himself. "I had an announcement to make, this weekend, we will start a Dueling club here at school."

This caught a lot of attention, a few murmurs rang out.

"This weekend, headed by Professors Snape and Flitwick, and of course, myself." He said with a lot of enthusiasm in the last word.

"I really wanna check that out." Tracey said. "Harry, let's go!" she said, smiling.

She knew that following the end of the previous school year, Cyrus and Dumbledore had given Harry and Daphne an introductory course on dueling and basic spells for it, but she knew Blaise was still their heavy hitter, his unflinching standoff with Draco In her mind.

"Guess I could use the refresher." Harry said, smiling at her.

"Yes!" she said happily, throwing a victory fist up.

He smiled at her and walked her to their next class.

The week passed with little real happenings, quickly giving way to the weekend and the dueling club. Daphne, Blaise, Harry, and Tracey arrived to a gathering by the Great Hall, which had its doors closed.

Professor Snape walked out of the hall and all conversation ceased. Everyone stared at the teacher who seemed to be staring back at everyone at the same time.

"First years, to my right. Now." He said.

A number of students gathered, afraid of disobeying the terrifying Potions Master.

"Go away." He said, pointing away from the hall. There was no protest as they ran away, knowing the club was open to second years and up only.

"How many are here to support someone, and not actually participate?"

Once more, a number of students raised their hands.

"In. Follow Professor Lockhart's instructions." He said softly.

The students wasted no time, wanting to get away from the Slytherin Head and excited to see their friends in duels.

"The rest of you, with me." Snape said, turning with his usual billowing cloak.

He lead them into the room which had been changed for the occasion.

The room was significantly smaller than it usually was, with a single long stage running its length. On both sides were stands for the crowd to watch, which were filling up quickly. Six smaller tables sat around.

"You will separate by year. Go." Snape said, waving his hand in dismissal. Harry took Tracey's hand and led her to their designated table.

"Welcome, everyone!" Professor Lockhart called, coming to the stage; some students audibly groaned. "This club, with permission from Dumbledore, was started by your three present teachers, as a way to engage in friendly competition, and to help you learn to defend yourself (as I have myself countless times) should the need rise."

Snape stood up on stage, as did Flitwick, following up next to Lockhart.

"We will separate you into years to help everyone remain in a more synchronized skill group" Flitwick began. "We will start from year two, giving them the basic spells they can use, and they will be dismissed or allowed to sit in the stands."

There was some concerned voices rising, but Snape glared and silenced everyone instantly.

"As we progress into the next year up, you will be given an additional set of spells, so pay attention. Only the spells we have given will be allowed. Anything past that and there will be consequences." The half-goblin teacher said.

For someone so small, especially someone who was usually so cheerful, the warning sounded very threatening.

"To reiterate, in case any of you weren't listening," Snape said icily, "We will give you the allowed repertoire. You can use what the younger students were given. You can _NOT_ use anything else. Am I clear?"

The silence said it all.

"Very good, Professors!" Lockhart said. "Give them a hand everyone!"

A small applause came out, mostly to stay on Snape's good side.

Flitwick took center and laid down rules, explaining posture and formalities for the upcoming duels. Everyone paid attention, having known his reputation as a champion duelist in his youth. Rumor had it he was so talented and bloodthirsty due to being half goblin.

"I will pair you up. You will go on stage, perform your duel, and sit down. Are we clear?" Snape asked.

"Yes, sir." Said the participants almost in perfect sync.

"Longbottom. Crabbe." He called. Both students got up and walked out to opposite ends of the stage. Flitwick gave Neville his spells and Snape gave Vincent his. Neville looked pale but nodded shakily, walking up to the stage. Crabbe stared at his teacher dumbly before sighing and walking up.

"Now, remember the formalities." Lockhart said, hopping off the stage.

Neville and Crabbe bowed slightly and took the positions explained by Flitwick and shown by Lockhart (Who was good for something after all).

"Esspeliuhrnust!" Crabbe called, chewing on something. He stopped and looked at his wand when nothing happened

"E-Expelliarmus!" Neville said meekly, a thin red bolt shooting from his wand. The spell hit Crabbe, who fell down with a yelp much higher pitched than anyone would expect.

It was silent for a moment as Crabbe got up until a voice called from the third year table.

"Yeah, Neville!" George called out, cheering him on. Quickly it spread to a lot of cheers and praise at Neville.

"Well done, Mister Longbottom. Mister Crabbe, we talked about spellwork with full mouths." Flitwick said. The two quickly sat back at their table.

A few more duels took place, before Lockhart called Tracey up.

"Are you insane?" Snape asked, sending a hurt looking Tracey to the audience stands. "Davis's wand is broken. Do you know how badly it's been affecting her work? She's an idiot time bomb and I'd rather not be in the blast zone." He said, not caring that he was heard.

A few rude giggles and laughs rang out to the red-faces girl who quickly walked to the stands, keeping her face down and covered by her hair.

"That wasn't very nice, but very well. Next, we have Malfoy and Zabini." Lockhart called.

A few cheers rang out, but stopped as people realized the Slytherins had gone silent, staring at the two boys. Everyone stared now, confused and curious as to why no one had cheered them as everyone else had.

The boys approached Snape, who stared at them. He leaned in, and said something. Both boys nodded and walked to opposite ends.

They both nodded and bowed, assuming their dueling stances.

"Ooh, they've done this before, haven't they?" Flitwick asked, a fire in his eye and a beating of his heart he hadn't felt in a while.

Both boys stared at each other, seconds ticking by. Neither had moved in the slightest. Suddenly, Blaise smirked, his wand flashing out a rapid succession of spells as he quickly dodged, Draco having fired back a split second after.

"You've been practicing." Blaise said, smirking. He launched a few more red bolts back, barely dodging the ones Malfoy sent.

"Scared, Zabini?" Draco snarled, dodging sending more spells his way.

"I'm flattered you went through all of this for me." He taunted, ducking under another spell.

Draco growled angrily and twirled his wand in a waved fashion. "Serpensortia!"

A few gasps were heard as a large snake appearing from Malfoy's spell. It hissed in anger and stared at Blaise threatening. Blaise's smirk was gone, replaced by an anger. Before he could say anything, Malfoy said something in panic that shocked the room.

"I can't control it."

A small panic ensued, until Snape stood up. With a sigh, he raised his wand.

"I'll get it." He said as if he'd rather do anything else in the world.

"Allow me!" Lockhart said cheerfully, pointing his wand. His spell, unsurprisingly, did not go as expected, instead he made the snake bigger and perhaps angrier.

It looked at the stands to Tracey, who was in the nearest seat. It reared back, readying for an attack until a voice called out;

" _Stop!"_ Harry said. The snake froze. " _Get away from her. Now."_

The snake turned to Harry, it's aggression forgotten. He was focusing on the snake, oblivious to the stares of shock and fear directed at him.

" _Not thiss one?"_ the snake hissed, looking at Harry who was angry.

" _No. None of them. Lay down and stay."_ He commanded. The snake silently lowered itself, moving back onto the stage and coiling up, staring at Harry.

With a puff of smoke, Snape vanished the snake and stared curiously at Harry. The boy realized finally that something was wrong, seeing Malfoy stare at him curiosity as well.

"Move, Potter." Blaise said quietly, pulling Harry from his thoughts. He nodded and moved, a pale Daphne and a frightened Tracey following.

He tried to hold her hand but she quickly pulled away, looking at him with fear.

Blaise dragged him to the dungeons and in through the hidden door to the Slytherin common room. He pushed Harry and Daphne into a seat and stared at them for a moment.

"You too with that look?" Harry asked, annoyed by the silence and the stares. He noticed Daphne flinched and he stopped.

"You're a Parselmouth?" He asked simply.

Someone in the suddenly silent common room dropped a glass which shattered. Harry turned before he realized no one else cared.

"I'm not." He said.

"You talked to the snake." Daphne said, sitting up and away from him.

"You didn't know?" Blaise questioned. Daphne shook her head.

"Well, yeah. I told it to not go after Trace." He said, confused.

"That's what you said?" Daphne asked.

"Yes, dammit. You heard me, didn't you?" he said. Both her and Blaise shook their heads.

"Potter, aren't you listening?" Blaise said, ignoring Harry's glare. "You were speaking Parseltongue."

"But I'm not…" Harry tried, seeing the fear on Tracey's face. She hadn't said a single word. "Am I?.."

"This is bad." Blaise said.

"Really?" Daphne snapped, not in the mood for the obvious being pointed out.

"There were already rumors of Harry being the Heir; this is gonna bring those back in force." He said.

"Oh." Was all Daphne could say. She hadn't expected that.

The doors burst open and Draco walked in, staring at Harry with uncertainty.

"You alright Potter?" He asked. Harry stared at him in shock.

Had Draco Malfoy just asked him if he was okay?

"Listen up." Draco said sharply, bringing the attention of the room to himself. "Regardless of what happened, Potter is one of ours and we protect our own."

"Aye!" shouted Montague, smiling at Harry.

More agreements rang out, Harry nodded a thanks to Draco who nodded back and walked away. Theodore and Pansy followed quickly, with Crabbe and Goyle taking the rear.

"Where are we going?" Pansy asked.

"The Owlery. I need to send a letter to my father, quickly." Draco said.

"Why did you stand up for Potter?" Theodore asked, frowning.

"You heard him, right?" Draco asked angrily. Theodore nodded. "Since the Dark Lord, name me one other Parselmouth."

Theodore stared, no response available.

"Exactly. I think I just found our Heir of Slytherin."


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14: Air of the Heir**

Luna was feeling rather upset. Her two closest friends were going through a rough time. Harry was being called "Heir of Slytherin" and being blamed for the prior attacks. People were running away from him left and right, which she wasn't happy with. She rather enjoyed his company.

 _Pricks._

And then there was Tom. The last few times she tried to talk to him, she was worried she'd said something to scare him away. He stopped talking to her as much, being distant, and then the book vanished. She knew it wasn't Tom, maybe one of her dorm mates had decided to dial up on her bullying.

Either way, she felt alone.

She wandered down the halls, several of the torches blown out. She could see some of the castle windows had opened, and in the cold, snowy breeze from outside… either way the darkened hallway scared her. It reminded her of… well, she wasn't sure what. She sighed and hugged herself slightly for warmth, walking on.

Up ahead, she heard a commotion of some sort. She walked over curiously to see a large group of angry and scared people pointing and shouting at Harry, who had a cold glare at the accusing, Tracey looking oddly relieved as she took his hand and walked him away.

"Yeah, walk away, Dark bastard." one of the students yelled.

Luna saw them pick up what seemed to be a clothed statue until she recognized it as a student.

"Poor Justin. Can't believe that Potter did him in too." said a girl as they hurried to the infirmary with him.

"What did Harry do?" Luna asked the onlookers who were talking among themselves.

"He attacked poor Justin. He let it slip a while back that he was a muggleborn and now the Heir of Slytherin has him all dead." A boy said, frowning.

"Did you see it?" She asked. The boy looked surprised.

"N-no, but we know it was him." he stuttered.

"And here I thought you Hufflepuffs were nicer than the Ravenclaws." Luna sighed, walking out towards where Harry had left.

She smiled for a moment, realizing the boy looked hurt by her words. He had seen what he did wrong. As she walked, she heard him bring it up to his friends.

"Ah, that's just Loony. You're really gonna listen to her?" She heard a girl said with a giggle.

"I… no. I guess not." the boy said.

Luna sighed. _Never mind then._

As she walked, she realized that another shape was looming near, like a shade in the light.

 _That is definitely off._ She thought. She looked at the barely translucent shape and gasped. A few of the remaining students noticed.

"It's dark magic residue." one of the students said darkly.

A few people muttered their agreements. Luna shook her head.

"Oh, what do you know, Loony?" he asked angrily.

"Have you touched it?" She asked quietly.

"I don't wanna get curs-no!" the student said, stepping forward as Luna reached for the shape.

Some of the students screamed and prepared to drag her to the infirmary as well until they realized she was okay .

"Touch it yourself." Luna said, looking pale.

Cautiously, and shushing his friend, the boy did. His hand felt cold and clammy, but otherwise he was okay.

"What is it?" he said, eyeing the shape. He looked at Luna, who looked at him in worry.

"It's a ghost." She said, making the entire corridor silent.

OoooO

Draco was feeling pleased with himself. Despite their long rivalries, he was surprisingly getting along with Potter. Not so much Greengrass or Davis, but he would work on it.

After having owled his father, the Malfoy patriarch replied quickly and let him know how he had approached the Dark Lord. He too had originally looked down on him, only to be wowed by what he could do. His idealism, his power. It would do Draco good to befriend and maintain an equal, but not to become a follower.

He had already asked Potter about the attacks, which he had denied. Draco knew better though. He understood. You couldn't give all your secrets away, after all. It did bad for your mystique. Keep them wondering and they'll flock.

 _Two can do that._ Draco thought smugly. Potter might be drawing the crowd now, but Draco would be in the spotlight as well.

He was creative enough. He had a target, and he had a series of spells he would practice. All he needed was time to create. To develop.

All he needed was a chance to kill.

After this latest attack, he was in high spirits. Another Mudblood was hit. Petrified, by the looks of it. Potter had maintained his usual, stoic facade, but Draco saw a look in his eyes.

He understood why his father had submitted to the Dark Lord.

Draco was obsessed. How did Potter control the monster of the Chamber? What _was_ the monster? How did he pick his victims from the riff raff of Mudblood that ran rampant through the castle? Were Halflings in danger as well?

So far, he hadn't seen anything. No big spells, not a lot of snake talks (though he did start practicing). Just usual friend things, class.

Draco sighed and shook his head. Snape's class was not the kind of place to let his mind wander. He went back to his potion, carefully adding in the grated unicorn horn. As his potion turned into a sickly green color, he shot one last glance at Potter, who had also changed his potion's color.

He vowed he would find out..one way or another.

OoooO

Tracey felt relieved at Justin's attack, as cold as it sounded. Daphne and Harry both assured her he wasn't some Dark Lord junior, but she worried nonetheless.

They were friends and a bit more, but he hadn't referred to her as his girlfriend. And as much as she wanted to call him her boyfriend, she wanted him to say it first.

She wasn't sure why she doubted him. Harry was reserved, but not particularly dark. Hell, Blaise gave more of a "Dark Lord" vibe.

" _It's the Snake Tongue."_ Blaise had said. As much as she'd seen Harry practice it, it still freaked her out. The soft hissing sounds just… she shuddered uncomfortably.

She looked at the upset boy with green eyes next to her. He didn't understand how or why he suddenly spoke Parseltongue. She sighed and got his attention.

"What's wrong?" he asked her.

"I'm annoyed with people." she said simply.

Harry looked at her, waiting for her to continue.

"You've got all of these pricks blaming you for these attacks, and those who aren't acting strange." she said with a huff. Harry stared at her for a moment.

"Acting strange like you were?"

Tracey frowned.

"More like Malfoy trying to be your new best friend." she said.

"He wishes. Wait until he finds out I'm not some big bad waiting to happen." Harry said. Tracey gave him a look.

"What happens then?" She asked. Harry shrugged and gave a Cheshire grin.

"No idea, but I'm definitely gonna take advantage of this." he said smiling. Tracey grinned back.

"And, how exactly do you plan to do that?" She asked, smiling.

"Dunno exactly. Already have him eating out the palm of my hand." Harry smirked. "Guess I could keep using him as protection."

Tracey's smirk went down a few molars as she remembered.

 _ **Earlier that week**_

 _Harry and Tracey had just walked Daphne to the Library for her study group with Hermione and Susan. They waved as she walked away and talked among themselves for a moment until Harry noticed footsteps rushing to them._

 _They turned to see a fifth year Gryffindor they didn't recognize brandishing his wand at them, looking quite furious._

" _Potter!" the boy roared, "I'll make you pay for what you did to Collin!"_

 _Harry barely had time to dodge as a cutting curse shot right next to him. The boy growled and let off a few more, Harry maneuvering just out of their range through sheer luck. To the boy, however, it seemed Harry was playing with him._

" _Fight me, you damned snake!" he shouted, sending more cutting curses at him._

 _Harry was on the defensive and quickly losing ground. A few more spells and he'd be effectively cornered. He quickly pulled his wand and sent a few stunners out, the boy side-stepping quickly. Harry angrily sent some more stunners before sending a binding curse aimed low. The boy avoided the stunners and fell to the curse, a resounding wet crack signaling that his nose caught his fall._

 _Tracey quickly came back with the Weasley Twins and Blaise, who all arrived to see Harry leaning against the wall, smirking over the face-down student._

" _Wow, did you actually kill him?" Blaise asked, eyeing the blood on the ground. Harry frowned._

" _No, hit him with a body binder and he fell on his face." Harry said with a huff._

" _Aww. Harrykins actually got the big bad alone this time." George said, smirking._

" _He's growing up; I'm so proud." Fred said, mimicking his brother's posture._

" _Thanks, pricks." Harry grumbled._

" _Careful, dear brother. The heir might target us next." Fred said with mock fear._

" _So, who do we have here?" Blaise asked, rolling the stiff boy over._

" _That is Alex Saffron who is not the brightest in his year." George commented, eyeing the panicked looking boy._

" _He probably overheard the older Gryffindors talking about what they would do to our big Dark Lord." Fred finished,_

" _We got this, don't worry." Fred followed, levitating the boy into the air._

. . .

"Tracey?" Harry asked, looking worried.

"Yes?" She asked, looking around the common room.

"You spaced out there." he said, frowning.

"I'm just worried. It's twice now someone tries to attack you over this whole heir thing." she said.

Harry nodded; that was exactly where Malfoy would become useful.

OoooO

Daphne sighed as she walked into the Library. Blaise was off doing whatever the hell he actually did and Harry was with Tracey in the common room. She hated to acknowledge it, but she felt like the outcast in her group of friends, despite knowing it wasn't the case.

Thankfully, she had her friends in the study group, and she was glad for them. Slytherin house and a sparse few others had no fear from Harry. Susan and Hermione were such type of others. That Lovegood girl was another, along with the Weasley Twins.

But short of that, it seemed the rest of the school was keeping a very short-fused eye on Harry. McGonagall seemed to frown whenever she thought Harry wasn't looking. Flitwick seemed jumpier than usual. Snape looked at him curiously, but Lockhart had a very hungry expression, which was worrisome all its own.

She walked in, seeing Susan at their usual table. Hermione was probably off looking for some book here or there.

"Hello, Susan." Daphne said.

"Hey, Daphne." Susan said with a brilliant smile. "How are you today?"

"I'm a bit worried, but otherwise I'm well." Daphne said, returning the smile.

She rather liked Susan. The girl had deep red hair and a pale complexion to go with it, light brown eyes. She was still upset that Susan seemed to develop a lot earlier than most other girls; Daphne felt rather flat next to her.

"I'm sure it'll be okay. I can help, of course, if anyone tries anything again." Susan said with a frown.

It wasn't a secret that Susan was well versed in wizard duels and other types of magical and muggle fighting. She had lost both of her parents to the Death Eaters and began to train herself from an early age. Her aunt, who was a very accomplished Auror and current Head of Magical Law Enforcement, had wanted Susan to stay away from anything of the sort, but gave in and helped her with it.

"I don't think we need to suplex chop anyone." Daphne said with a giggle.

Susan smiled and nodded, not bothering to correct her.

"Regardless, I will help if needed." She said with a grin.

"Why would you be so interested in helping? Interested in Harry too?" Daphne teased.

"I am not." Susan said with an indignant pout. "However, he is someone important to you, and you're one of my best friends, so I'd help."

Daphne smiled and said nothing. She didn't need to. She was touched, and Susan knew that.

The two girls began revising and reviewing each other's homework, making small comments here and there. Soon, Hermione had joined them and immediately set off to help her study group.

"Wow. Wasting no time I see." Susan teased with a smile.

"I take my schoolwork absolutely seriously." Hermione said, smiling proudly.

"So no time for anything fun? Boys, girls, something?" Daphne asked, teasing their bushy haired friend. In response, Hermione blushed .

"Oh, that look. Something you haven't said, Granger?" Susan questioned, a smirk on her face.

"I have plenty of fun." Hermione said indignantly, but her flushed face undermined her tone. "Plus, I have you guys in my study group and as friends which is plenty of fun."

"Ah, I see. I understand." Daphne said with a sagely nod. Hermione smiled gratefully. "So you have a crush on one of us."

Hermione gasped and looked up to argue when she saw the shared grins between Susan and Daphne.

"Prats, the both of you." She said, turning to her meticulously researched homework.

"Well, she didn't say no…" Susan said, still grinning.

"That is it! I'm going to go get a book on magical insects used in potions." Hermione said, blushing.

Daphne and Susan giggled, with the former standing up.

"We're just giving you grief; I'll go get the book." She said, blowing Hermione a kiss.

The girl glared at her friend as she walked into the stacks before smiling.

"So, have you asked her yet?" Hermione asked, eyeing Susan over her book. The girl turned bright red and shook her head. "Why not?"

"I'm nervous, dammit." Susan said quietly, rolling her eyes at Hermione's smirk.

"The big niece of the head of law enforcement, frightened over asking her friend to spend the holidays." her friend teased.

Susan tossed a scrap of parchment at her.

"You know why I'm nervous, Mione." She sighed.

"All the more reason to ask her. You know we leave soon and we don't have another study session scheduled until _after_ the holidays." her friend said.

"I guess…" Susan said with uncertainty.

"I'll tell you who I have a crush on if you do it now." Hermione offered.

"Now I'm interested." Daphne said, standing behind the brown skinned girl with a massive grin and a book in tow.

"Y-you weren't supposed to hear that!" Hermione stuttered, blushing almost as brightly as Susan.

"You both seem rife with embarrassment, so please, dish." She said, taking her spot next to Susan.

Hermione sighed and looked expectantly at Susan.

"You dug this hole yourself." Susan said with a smile.

"Actually, it's not her turn until after you've said whatever needs to be said." Daphne smirked.

Susan squirmed uneasily for a second before giving her blonde friend a decisive and fiery look. She reached over and softly cupped Daphne's face and leaned in, softly kissing her.

Whether from uncertainty or surprise, Daphne didn't react, staring at her friend in utter shock.

"Daphne Greengrass, would you like to spend this holiday season with me?" Susan said, blushing brightly but glad she didn't stutter.

Daphne nodded slowly, not trusting her mouth yet.

"It's Fred Weasley, by the way." Hermione said, smirking and knowing her friends entirely ignored her.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15: Christmas Pains and Revelations**

"Harry, are we together?"

The question caught the boy entirely off guard as he stared questioningly at his companion.

"Sure, don't see anyone else here." He said, regretting it immediately. Tracey's expression lit up and fell almost immediately.

"I- no… not like that." She said with an angry edge in her voice.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, slightly confused. His expression somewhat defused her, as she sighed softly.

"I mean… are we… a couple?" She asked, hesitantly.

"I think so?" Harry questioned, again regretting his response.

"You think so." she said plainly, frowning.

"What I mean is, I do think we're something. I know we're more than friends at the moment, and I'm not entirely sure as to what that entails." He said.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

Harry saw this as an opportunity to get out of danger, so he thought his answer through carefully.

"Well, I've never really had any romantic relationships before, nor really thought about them. I've been trying to figure it out, but there isn't exactly a guidebook out there on how to deal with your first girlfriend." He said, internally crossing his fingers in hopes his response worked.

Much to his surprise, it did.

"Thank you." Tracey said with a small smile.

"Why are you thanking me?" Harry asked, wondering if he was about to get cursed.

"You _finally,_ called me your girlfriend." she said, smiling at the word.

Harry looked dumbfounded.

"That's what you wanted me to say?" he asked with surprise.

Tracey nodded and giggled.

"It's not always so complicated, Potter." said Michelle, a fifth year at nearby table.

"She's right, you know." Tracey said with a smirk that would make Zabini proud.

Harry grumbled, but relented and smiled. He made Tracey smile, a win for his first relation.

"I didn't know, but I do now." He said, standing up and offered his hand to Tracey, who giggled and took it.

"It's a good start, Mister Potter." she said, smiling. Harry grinned and led them both out of the common room, heading out to a patio.

OoooO

"Susan?" Daphne said nervously as the Hogwarts Express signalled that it would arrive at Kings Cross station soon.

"Bones? Wait. As in a girl?" Blaise asked, completely surprised.

The train ride was _not_ short, and it had taken him this long to get the information out of Daphne.

"No, Susan Carmichael. Yes, Bones." she snapped, not happy to be in the spotlight.

"She kissed you with no warning?" Blaise asked, looking for confirmation.

"Yes, dammit." she cursed, not wanting the conversation to go on.

"But-" He began.

"But what? Yes, she's a girl, yes I am too, so?" She asked angrily.

Blaise frowned, which told Daphne that was not where he was taking things.

"What about the bond?" he asked simply.

Daphne sighed.

"Harry is still unaware of it. He's with Tracey, and I don't want to sit around looking pretty waiting to see if or when it ends." she said with a soft voice.

"But doesn't the bond ultimately mean his being with Tracey means nothing?" he asked. Daphne shook her head.

"Harry hasn't accepted the Soul bond; he doesn't even know it exists, right?" She asked the boy, who nodded in return. "Bonds don't necessarily mean he'll end up with me. As long as we remain close friends, there won't be negative effects, we just… won't be as strong as we could be."

"And what happens if something happens where you two fall apart like last year?" He asked her.

"It wasn't out of anger or any other negative emotions. If we had a bad falling out, however…" she began before letting out a long sigh. "Then we would both weaken until we fell ill or died."

Blaise looked startled at that.

"I thought you said you'd just get a bit weaker. " Blaise said.

"I've still been looking into it. The reactions to it are varied, and the bonds themselves are extremely rare." Daphne said with a shrug.

"So that's it? You'll just move on from your soul mate?" he asked. Daphne shook her head.

"I know that'll never happen. I know I'll always have that part of me yearning for him, but even I have a life to live, and the bond doesn't stop me from falling in love." she said, before Blaise sighed and nodded.

"So it's not being done out of pettiness?" He asked her. Daphne glared at her friend.

"You know damn well it isn't." she said dangerously.

Blaise held up his hands in appeasement, nodding.

"I'm simply making sure, Daphne." He said.

Daphne nodded slowly.

"So are you girls together now?" Blaise asked, lightening up the conversation.

"Prick." she said as she began blushing again.

OoooO

Daphne walked out of the train, looking for the redhead with whom she would share her break with. She spotted her talking with an attractive witch with brilliant red hair that made Daphne question if they were related to the Weasley family.

"Susan, there you are." Daphne said, smiling shyly. Susan returned the smile in kind before turning to her the older witch.

"Auntie, this is Daphne, the er… friend who I invited over for the break." Susan said nervously.

Daphne stopped and looked the woman up and down. Here was a witch who could have passed for Susan's older sister and was the very feared Head of Magical Law Enforcement, Amelia Bones.

 _Do any of you Bones girls age?_ Daphne wondered, staring at the surprisingly young woman who stood before her.

"It's very good to meet you, Madame Bones." Daphne said politely. The woman smiled kindly.

"And a pleasure to meet you, Daphne." she replied, giving a knowing smile as she saw the awkwardness between the two girls.

There was a moment of silence followed by a very awkward silence between the girls that made Amelia grin.

"So, she did kiss you?" She asked plainly, making Daphne look wholly embarrassed and Susan utterly horrified. "Whoops?"

"N-no m-madame. She d-did." Daphne stuttered out, having a very difficult time getting the words out.

"Well, then this won't be as awkward, please take each other's hand." she requested.

"A-auntie, why?" Susan said, blushing as brightly as Daphne. Her aunt grinned.

"So we can all apparate at once." she said. The two girls looked completely dumbstruck but took hands after a moment. "Good!"

She took her niece's hand and they quickly headed to the Bones' home.

As they arrived, both girls took a moment to breathe and drop their belonging before Daphne looked like she was having a panic attack.

"I need to leave." she said quickly, finding it hard to breathe. Amelia handed her a piece of parchment.

"It's okay, Daphne, read this." Amelia said, realizing what was happening.

Daphne read the address on the page and frowned, her panic quickly disappearing.

"What happened?" Daphne asked, not sure why she had the sudden urge to leave.

"I am very unpopular, to certain groups." said the elder Bones. "My home, therefore, is protected by something called the Fidelius Charm, which means its location can't be shared by anyone who isn't the keeper of the address."

"And the urge to leave came from that?" Daphne asked. Susan and her aunt nodded.

"You didn't know the address, so the magic makes you want to get out as quickly as possible." Madame bones explained.

Daphne nodded. It made sense, after all. Susan giggled.

"Try to say the address." she said. Daphne tried and frowned, realizing her mouth refused to form the words.

"It's part of the enchantment. You know the address, but you can't share it." Amelia explained, smirking with her niece. "Anyways, Daphne, a pleasure to meet you, I have business that needs tending to, but please, make yourself at home."

And with that, Madame Bones apparated away.

"Let's unpack?" Susan suggested quietly. Daphne nodded and followed Susan up the stairs to a small hallway. She led Daphne into a room that very clearly belonged to Susan.

"Are we sharing a bed?" Daphne asked, terrified at the thought. Susan blushed and shook her head.

"As- as appealing as that sounds," Susan said, trying to pass it as a flirt, " I just wanted to show you my room."

Daphne sighed almost audibly as soon as the red haired witch turned around. That was one thing she was definitely not prepared for. Small steps, after all. Right?

"So, anyways, yeah… this is my room away from school." Susan said with a nervous smile.

The room wasn't too big, just as large as necessary. There was a queen bed with rich brown sheets under a number of white pillows of various sizes. The wooden floor was covered by a rug in the middle of the room which sat between the bed and a small desk. There was a dresser and a closet door that hung just open.

Despite being unused since August, the room felt very lived in.

But what really caught Daphne's attention was the doors. There were three doors, one the entrance, one the bathroom, but what was the third?

Susan caught her glance and smiled softly.

"That's my uh.. training room." she said, a bit embarrassed by it.

"You have a training room here?" Daphne questioned.

She knew the Bones would have one, she didn't expect it to be connected to Susan's room directly.

"It's nothing too fancy." Susan said, opening the door. The room was pretty much bare. A single armoire sat at the far end across from the door, and a single dummy that had clearly seen better days sat in the center.

"My auntie enchanted this room and the dummy to handle spells and other attacks so I could train." Susan said worriedly. She wouldn't admit it, but she was scared. A couple of her friends had seen her room and teased her about it, and she hoped Daphne wouldn't.

"So nothing can damage the room?" the witch in question asked. Susan shook her head.

"Powerful enough, or dangerous enough that curses could." she said. Daphne nodded her understanding.

"Show me." she said, standing back to the door. Susan looked startled.

"Show you what?" She asked.

"I dunno. Something that should damage the dummy but won't?" Daphne offered. Susan nodded and took out her wand.

" _Reducto!"_ Susan said clearly, pointing her wand at the dummy. The blasting curse hit the dummy which flew off and hit the wall with a loud crash. Both the wall and dummy were intact.

"That's amazing. Daphne said, smiling. "Teach me that one."

Susan smiled, maybe there wasn't anything for her to worry about after all.

OoooO

Draco blinked for a moment and sat up. He sat up off his large bed, king sized since he was six. He looked around, the large ornate mahogany desk loomed, next to a matching bookshelf. His whole room was decorated in the rich, dark wood, with the green and silver Slytherin colors over imposed; they'd been those same colors since before his birth.

"Dobby." Draco called with a stifled yawn.

Quickly, a bedraggled looking house elf popped into his room.

"Yes, sir?" the elf asked, taking his usual customary bow.

The boy sighed.

"What are my parents doing?" he asked.

"Master Lucius is in his study going over businesses things and Mistress Narcissa is away." the elf squeaked, forcing himself to fully pronounce and enunciate the Malfoy names to avoid punishment.

"Is breakfast ready?" He asked. The elf nodded quickly.

"Yes, Master Draco. Your father is having his meal in his office today." Dobby said. Draco nodded and got up, grabbing an emerald robe that hung by his private bathroom door.

Draco prepared to leave when he saw the elf still present.

"Get lost." Draco said, receiving a nod as the elf vanished.

The blond boy walked out and headed to the dining hall on the first floor. As he approached, he heard the front door open, with Severus Snape walking in.

"Draco." the man acknowledged curtly, walking quickly past him.

He stared at the teacher and shrugged. It wasn't his issue, but he was curious.

Snape was here on business. Lucius had owled him in a panic, and he wasted no time coming in. Without knocking, he pushed open the door to the study and saw the man sitting behind the desk, staring into a stone basin that he sat on the desk. The blond man looked up and nodded at him, who nodded in return.

"What is it that's so urgent you needed me immediately?" Snape asked softly. Lucius looked at the man in concern and sighed.

"Severus, when did the Dark Lord claim to have opened the Chamber of Secrets?" he asked.

"I believe in 1945 he first discovered it, why?" Snape asked.

"Do you remember the body of the girl that died?" Lucius asked. Snape frowned.

"No and neither do you, that was well before our times." Snape said. "Ahh. You've discovered a memory not your own."

Lucius nodded and fidgeted for a moment before sighing.

"Severus, I can smell it. The beast's slobber. The slowly cooling flesh. The blood. I remember it all, clear as day, but how?" he asked, looking worried.

"Have you been exposed to any of the Dark Lord's artifacts?" he asked, his wand out and casting silent diagnosis spells.

"No, not in… wait. There was _something._ " Lucius said.

"What was it?" Snape asked curiously.

"A book. The Lord gave me a blank diary. I did away with it as instructed after it began acting up, just as instructed." Lucius said quietly.

"A blank diary?" he asked his friend incredulously. Lucius nodded.

"I opened it myself, checked every page, tried spells to check for secrets. At first I was sure it was a simple test, but I soon forgot about it. I haven't seen it in years, and suddenly it began doing… _things."_ Lucius said uneasily.

"Things?" Snape asked, looking for an explanation.

"It moves, Severus. It was in our hiding chamber, under the drawing room. And then it was in my study. I thought maybe it was moved, but when I went to my office, it was there as well." Lucius said.

"And the book, did it have anything in it?" Snape asked. Lucius shook his head.

"Every page, every spell, nothing. However, it kept chasing me, until one day I found it opened, with _his_ handwriting." he said.

"What did it say?" Snape asked curiously.

"Take me to Hogwarts; the Heir awaits." Lucius said uneasily.

"I see. So maybe this is behind the attacks." Snape said, more to himself than to Lucius.

"I think it may be an instruction guide for Mister Potter." Lucius said.

"Why him?" Snape asked, frowning.

"Potter is a Parselmouth. The child who defeated the Dark Lord gone to Slytherin as well, and now this happens? Lucius said, sighing.

"I see…" Snape said. "Well, we can clear the memory, if you would like. I will always need to check for anything else out of place."

Lucius nodded and prepared his mind, placing his private memories off inside his own mind.

"Ready?" Snape asked.

Lucius nodded and felt his mind being touched. He fought it instinctively for a moment before allowing Snape in. He knew this would take a long, long while.

Draco, however, heard every last word. He smiled to himself. He knew exactly what to look for now.

OoooO

"Tom? Tooom?" Luna called, looking around the empty hallways.

With a sigh, she turned around and began walking away. Up ahead, she saw the bloody writing where Filch's cat had been killed months earlier. The writing was very clearly magical, as no amount of scrubbing had taken it down. Word was, Professor Snape was working on some potion to wash it away; she personally doubted it.

A falling sound called her attention to a door most people seemed to ignore. Maybe a notice-me-not charm? She wasn't sure, but she approached the door, watching it creak loudly open.

"Aren't the doors normally looked after by the school?" she wondered aloud.

"No, not here, anyways." said a voice inside.

"Huh? I didn't know anyone used this bathroom." Luna said, walking into the old rundown room.

"I live here." said Moaning Myrtle, floating down from the ceiling.

"Hello, I'm Luna." The blonde girl greeted.

"I'm Moaning Myrtle." the ghost said with tears in her eyes.

"If it helps, I'm usually called Loony. That's worse than Moaning, I think." Luna said with a smile.

Myrtle let out a weak laugh.

"It certainly helps… though I must know, are you planning something?" Myrtle asked, eyeing Luna suspiciously.

"Planning something? Like what?" Luna asked, wide eyed.

"On being mean to me; everyone is mean to poor little Myrtle." she cried.

"I would give you a hug if it would help, everyone is mean to me as well, but hugs usually help me." Luna said.

"You would, wouldn't you?" Myrtle sniffled, looking at the oddly dressed girl. She nodded in earnest. "Why would you do that?"

"Because you look like you need a friend." Luna said with a smile.

Myrtle looked shocked.

"You… you'd be my friend… even though I'm a ghost?" Myrtle asked, completely surprised.

Luna smiled.

"Of course. I only really have two friends; I'd love to have another." Luna said happily.

"I haven't had friends in fifty years.." Myrtle said softly, smiling at the blonde girl. "I missed it."

Luna giggled, making Myrtle look at her.

"I've only had friends for a few months." Luna said with a smile.

"Tell me about your friends." Myrtle said smiling at her friend.

"Well, firstly, Harry…" Luna began, going on a long chat about the raven-haired boy who was just barely older than her.

"Well, he sounds absolutely charming. I wonder if it's the same boy I met here earlier." Myrtle said, smiling at the description. "Who's the other friend?"

"Well, I'm actually currently looking for him. His name is Tom." Luna said, frowning slightly. Myrtle looked startled but it seemed Luna didn't catch the look. "I have no idea where he went. I'm afraid I might have done something wrong and I wanted to apologize."

"What- er… why do you think you did anything wrong?" Myrtle said, trying to keep her face innocent.

"I haven't had friends before. I might have said or done something wrong." Luna said softly.

"I'm sure it isn't your fault. He probably has other... things going on." Myrtle said. Luna gave her a sad smile.

"I guess. He's an older student so maybe. We mostly used to talk through his diary." Luna said with a sigh. "But I lost it."

"How did you talk through the diary?"

"I dunno. Maybe it was enchanted as a pair? Tom has been really nice and helps me understand work I'm not particularly getting. He's very insightful." Luna said.

"Well, maybe his diary is in the lost and found?" She suggested.

Luna smacked a hand to her head.

"Of course! How could I not think of that? Thank you, Myrtie!" Luna said. She waved her arms awkwardly in the air for a moment.

"Uh?" Myrtle questioned.

"An air hug, since I can't actually hug my new friend." Luna said. "I'll see you soon Myrtie!"

Luna turned and walked out excitedly. Myrtle turned to an intact stall angrily.

"You absolute _bastard_!" she said angrily. The stall door opened slowly and Tom walked out, eyes downcast.

"Myrtle…" He tried.

"No! That poor girl is absolutely heart broken about you missing and _that's_ your victim? The only friend you've got?" She asked angrily. Tom flinched.

"Aren't we friends?" Tom asked, looking sorry, unable to meet Myrtle's glare.

"Tom Marvolo Riddle." Myrtle said with a deathly hiss, "You _killed_ me, refused to listen to me, and still _dare_ ask if we're friends?"

"But-"

"But what, Tom? What could you possibly say to make this better?" She shouted.

"I don't know, Dammit, but you're right, okay? I don't want to hurt her and I've got no choice. I'm barely keeping Septemvittata at bay as it is. That's the best I've got. I'm keeping a bloody basilisk from running amok. I'm trying to prevent what happened to you. Happy?" Tom snapped.

Myrtle was quiet. She sighed and shook her head.

"Trying isn't enough, Tom. Either you do, or don't. You've always had a choice. We both know what you are, and it's your choice to make. For once, save a life, or keep being this… abomination. What will it be, Tom?" Myrtle asked with a sob.

Tom looked at her and then averted his gaze. He didn't know.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16: Diary Discords**

"WEASLEYS!" Filch roared angrily.

The bathroom that sat next to the bloody graffiti was gushing water like no tomorrow. Between his screaming and sloshy footsteps, and Myrtle screaming bloody murder, the whole scene drew a lot of attention.

Daphne and Harry wandered over to see what the racket was, hearing Filch shuffle down the corridor, strings of curse words they knew neither Victoria or Cyrus would approve of flowing eloquently.

"Filch seems to be in a pleasant mood." Harry said, eyebrows raised.

"Should we check where this water is coming from?" Daphne asked, after a pause.

"Yes." Harry said, grabbing Daphne's hand and running in.

Unbeknownst to them, someone watched them hurry into the bathroom with a sinister smile.

" _Got you."_

…..

"Why are all these sinks on?" Daphne asked. With a wave of her wand, she shut off each faucet one by one.

"No idea, and Myrtle, please?" Harry said, trying to get the ghost girl to calm down.

"So-sorry." Myrtle hiccuped, her translucent ghost tears falling without disturbing the slowly calming water.

"It's okay. Have you any idea what happened?" Harry asked.

" _Calaeras!"_ Daphne said, waving her wand in a complicated arc.

The water began to steam and evaporate away very slowly from her charm.

"I was just floating through the school's pipes, wandering and thinking about death, when I heard a voice screaming in my bathroom." Myrtle said.

"So you didn't see who it was?" Daphne asked, frowning.

"Unfortunately, no. I went to check and when I did, _somebody_ threw something at my head." Myrtle said, sobbing softly.

"What did they throw?" Harry asked. Myrtle stopped crying and looked surprised.

"I… didn't check, actually." she said sheepishly.

"Where did it happen?" Daphne asked, looking around. Myrtle pointed at a stall with the door hanging at a precarious angle.

She carefully opened the door while Harry helped keep it from falling.

"What is it?" Harry asked, not able to see over the blonde.

"It's… a little black book." Daphne said.

If Myrtle had a heart, it would have just stopped.

"Well, that's alright then, no reason to see more." Myrtle said, walking through both of them to the toilet. She almost screamed as she saw Daphne and Harry open the diary of Tom Riddle.

"It's blank." Harry said, flipping through the pages.

"So it's trash, might as well get rid of it." Myrtle said; neither of the two heard her.

"Maybe we could try a revelation spell?" Daphne said. With a point and a spell, they waited and saw nothing.

"Oh well, you tried; just trash it." Myrtle tried again.

"Well, maybe it belongs to someone." Harry suggested.

"Wow, you don't hear me at all!" Myrtle groaned.

"Bye Myrtle." Harry called, leaving with Daphne.

"Oh, dammit." Myrtle muttered. This was very bad.

OoooO

"It's an utter cliche, but he grabbed her hand and ran to an abandoned toilet with Greengrass." Theodore Nott said.

"You're absolutely sure?" Pansy asked, after a shriek of glee.

"Oh yeah, definitely sure of it." Nott said, smirking.

"So Potter got tired of his little Halfling, boo-hoo." Pansy said with a dark grin.

"You're absolutely certain about it?" Draco asked the boy. "No mistaking it at all?"

He nodded quickly, making Draco smile.

"Now, on our other order of business." Draco said, all mirth from this gone. "The bedroom checks."

"Neither Greengrass nor Davis had any black diaries in their rooms." Pansy said, settling in quickly.

"Potter's room was clear as well, however, I wasn't able to check Zabini's room." Theodore said with a frown.

"Why not?" Malfoy asked, unhappy with the news.

"It was locked. I tried an _alohomora_ and his door didn't budge." Nott answered.

"Zabini's room has more secure protection spells, eh? Maybe that's where he's keeping the book." Malfoy said, more so to himself.

"What exactly _is_ the little book supposed to be?" Theodore asked.

"I'm not entirely sure. From what I overheard, I believe it might be an enchanted spell book or a guide for the heir." Draco said.

"Why would it be a guide?" Pansy asked.

"Well, think about it. Last year there were no attacks on the lowlifes here. Then Potter gets the book and the attacks begin; it seems far too connected to be coincidence." Theodore said.

Draco nodded while Pansy took a moment to register it all.

"Since your father sent the book with a random student, it took a moment before Potter obtained it and figured out the secrets." Pansy said slowly.

"I'm sure the book is keyed to only work for the Heir, maybe Parseltongue." Draco said.

"How will we?" Theodore said.

"It's simple, really. Other than Potter, what else speaks in snake tongue?" Draco asked.

"I dunno, who?" Pansy asked.

"I said what, not who." Draco said with a smile.

Both Pansy and Theodore looked confused. With a smile, Draco drew his wand and pointed to the floor.

" _Serpensortia!"_ he said, a long black snake erupting from his wand.

"Snakes do."

OoooO

"I recognize the name." Blaise said, moving the book around and shaking it at angles. "T.M. Riddle."

"From where?" Tracey asked, snatching it from his hands. "For a book that was in that much water, it looks surprisingly dry and in good shape."

"It's definitely magical then." Blaise said, snatching it back. He gave a lewd hand gesture as a reply to Tracey sticking out her tongue, ignoring the gasp of indignation.

"So, this name?" Harry asked, ignoring the bickering.

"He was awarded special services to the school for I don't know what fifty years ago." Blaise said, frowning at the empty book. "I found it in the old school newsletter while we were checking student and school records for the Chamber incident."

"Fifty years ago? Do you reckon this has been here since then?" Tracey asked, looking at the book Blaise had now set in front of them.

"Dunno. We tried a revelation spell and revealers, but nothing." Daphne said.

"What I don't understand is, why would someone throw a blank book into a toilet and run." Harry said, picking up the book.

"Maybe we could check student records for T.M. Riddle?" Blaise suggested.

"We could also try checking where this diary was made." Daphne added.

"How would that help?" Tracey asked.

"If we knew who made it, we could find out what enchantments are on it." Daphne explained.

"Well, according to this label, this was from Vauxhall Road, London." Blaise said. "The only magical stores in London are found in Charing Cross, where is Diagon Alley and the various connected alleyways, but nothing by Vauxhall."

"So, a muggleborn?" Tracey asked, receiving a nod from Blaise.

"We should check, maybe he knows about the Chamber." Harry said, pocketing the book.

"You're bringing it with us?" Daphne asked.

"Yeah, maybe if we learn something about this Riddle, we can take a crack at this book." Harry said. Daphne nodded and set off with her friends.

What he didn't want to admit is, he wanted to hold on to the book. He didn't know why, but he felt like he knew who Riddle was; like an old friend he didn't quite remember.

He wanted- no- _needed_ to hold on to the book.

The four of them quickly made their way to the student records in the library. The disorganized mess lead to only one name that could fit their search.

"Tom M. Riddle." Blaise said, reading the public file.

"He was a Slytherin." Harry said, reading over Blaise's shoulder. "Head Boy, Prefect, perfect O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s, and his "Special Services" are mentioned, but not particularly explained."

"So that lead took us absolutely nowhere." Daphne said.

"Guys." Tracey said quietly.

"Maybe we could ask a teacher?" Daphne offered

"Guys." Tracey said a little louder.

"Who other than Dumbledore would-" Blaise began.

"Guys!" Tracey said loudly.

Her three friends stopped and realized she was reading a different file in the public files.

"Did you find something?" Harry asked. Tracey nodded slowly and cleared her throat before reading the file out loud.

"In 1943, Rubeus Hagrid was expelled and arrested during his third and final year. A dangerous creature he had brought in attacked his fellow students and resulted in the death of one." She read aloud. "That doesn't sound right; Hagrid knows better than that."

"I dunno, Trace. Remember Fluffy?" Harry pointed out.

"He knew how to handle him though." Tracey said.

"Yeah, but what if third year Hagrid couldn't handle whatever the creature was?" Blaise interjected.

Tracey tried to come up with a response, slowly sighing as she nodded at the logic.

"I'll ask him then." she said dejectedly.

OoooO

The air around the castle had shifted. It'd been long enough since the last attack and everyone seemed oddly cheerier. Even Filch was feeling somewhat better, having received a kitten for the holidays from Hagrid, who made sure it wasn't the same color as Mrs. Norris.

Despite a few students still actively avoiding Harry, and Peeves trying to keep the feeling of dread in the air, it seemed as if whoever was behind the attacks had stopped.

"Who knows? Maybe they got too scared with the increased monitoring that they gave up." Susan had said during their last study session.

Unfortunately, and quite annoyingly, it seemed Lockhart genuinely believed it was thanks to his "efforts" that lead to the end of the attacks.

"It's a bit of a shame, really. Anymore and I would have made a real crack in the case. I really feel like my leads were taking me places." Lockhart said aloud at breakfast, to the teachers and students who were more concerned with the hotcakes and grits in their faces.

Other than sheer annoyance at the incompetent man, everyone seemed to be in a better mood.

Valentine's Day was coming up and Tracey was, with malignant glee, planning ways of teasing Harry. This made Daphne worry somewhat, as she realized that after the holidays, she hadn't really seen Susan other than at their study sessions.

Even Blaise seemed to have something going on, surprising everyone.

"Yeah, Valentine's is coming up, love is in the air and all that. I didn't want to be the only one of my friends enjoying the day stag. I'll leave that to the Weasley Twins." He said, while refusing to mention who the mystery person was.

"Have you heard that Lockhart is planning something for Valentine's?" Tracey said, eliciting a groan from everyone in earshot.

"What's he planning?" Harry asked with a nervous glance.

"No idea however I just heard something about "it" not being pink enough." Tracey said with a shudder.

There was a moment of silence before Daphne finally spoke.

"What in the _hell_ is "it"?" She asked.

No one had an answer and somehow this looming unknown was as terrifying as whatever creature had been attacking people.

OoooO

The day had finally come, and Daphne felt absolutely floored by the sheer horror of it all.

The Great Hall was covered in so many different sized hearts and flowers in more shades of pink any one human being should be aware of existing. There was an innumerable amount of some of the ugliest dwarves she'd ever seen grumpily walking around in diapers and enchanted wings and halos stuck to them. They stomped around, rudely shoving and pushing people out of their ways.

As the students filled in for breakfast, Lockhart stood up and addressed the garish elephants that walked in and out of the room.

"Happy Valentine's Day to you all! Thank you so much for the Valentines today, you know who you are!" he exclaimed happily. He went on to explain that he was using his "cupids" to deliver student to student Valentine's cards, presents, and more.

Daphne thought this was absolutely awful and tried to focus on something else. Today, she had Riddle's diary. They were taking turns with it to see if anyone could figure it out. So far, they hadn't.

Daphne walked to the library to finish up an essay for History of Magic, despite the class being one of the furthest things from her mind. She knew this whole issue with the chamber wasn't over. She didn't know how, or why, but she knew there was something that were between clues with Quirrell last year, the palpable tension remained. To her, this was no different.

She sat down in the stacks and set her homework in front of her. She looked over what she had written down and sighed. She took a deep breath and began writing her finishing statement and stopped. A soft growl of frustration escaped her lips as she pulled out Riddle's book.

Once more, knowing nothing was different, she flipped through it before flipping back to the first page. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. She groaned and let her head fall to the surface of the desk. The cluttered sound informed her that her inkwell had just spilled.

 _Great. Bet this day can't get worse, can it?_ She thought bitterly.

She sat up, eyes closed while she felt up around her hair.

"Yeah, that's ink alright." said a familiar voice.

Daphne yelped and quickly pulled her wand out, clearing the ink off her face and hair with a quick _scourgify_. Embarrassed, Daphne turned to see Susan standing up against the bookshelf, arms crossed, but smiling playfully.

"Er… hey, Sue." Daphne said, unsure of exactly what _to_ say.

"Hi." Susan said, smiling at the girl.

"So…" Daphne said after a moment of painfully awkward silence.

"So." Susan said, matching tones.

The air felt even more tense for Daphne, now for an entirely different reason. After a moment, Susan giggled.

"You know, I honestly considered following Davis' lead." Susan said finally.

"Her lead on what?" Daphne asked, curious and grateful for the offending silence ending.

"She got several of Lockhart's dwarves to follow Harry around and sing different love songs to him in unison." She said, laughing.

Daphne paled.

"Merlin." She said, imagining the dreadful situation.

"Yeah, Davis was laughing hysterically since he tried to run and the dwarves ran him down and held him while they sang; it was awful." Susan said with a snicker that showed how she actually felt about it.

"What about that awful plan did you want to follow with?" Daphne asked nervously.

"I wanted to hire one or two to sing to you." She smirked.

"Aww, come on, why would you do that?" Daphne whined.

"Other than you practically avoiding me since we came back? Susan asked with a raised eyebrow.

Daphne looked away in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry. I've been… preoccupied." She said vaguely.

"With Harry?" Susan asked with a frown.

"Sort of? More with everyone, really." Daphne said, not quite understanding where Susan was going with things.

"But nothing else?" She asked, eyebrow raised.

"Why are you asking like that?" Daphne asked, sure she was missing something.

Susan sighed and bit her lip, looking hard at the blonde.

"So, there's a rumor going around about you and Harry behind mine and Davis' backs." She began. "At first I was a bit upset, even though I knew it wasn't true."

"You knew? Then why did it upset you?" Daphne asked. Susan gave a sad smile.

"It didn't; I upset me." She said.

"Why?"

Susan sighed at the obvious and unavoidable question.

"Because I realized we never really talked about "us". You kind of just went along with whatever I said and did and I never asked for your opinion on things." Susan said softly.

"You want to know if I like you too." Daphne said, realizing where Susan was going with it.

The red haired girl nodded, bracing herself for the worst. Her face was downcast and her eyes closed, hair covering up. She knew what was coming.

"Sue." Daphne said, softly.

Susan looked up and her eyes widened immensely as the blonde girl kissed her softly, smiling into the kiss. It was a short, chaste kiss, but it put all of her worries to rest. They stood quietly for a moment, smiling shyly at each other before Susan gasped.

"Daphne, I'm so sorry. Your homework!" she said.

Daphne turned and saw her spilled inkwell had soaked her parchment and Riddle's book in black ink. Daphne sighed and shrugged it off, smiling to Susan.

"It's fine; I meant to re-write it anyways." Daphne said.

"Ten minutes til curfew!" Madame Price called.

Daphne trashed the saturated parchment while Susan cleared the desk.

"Lucky you didn't get any on your new diary." Susan giggled, handing Daphne the small black book; it was somehow not covered in any ink.

 _Did it… absorb it? How? Wait. Did Susan just say…_ She thought

"Diary?" Daphne asked. Susan nodded.

"That's a diary, isn't it?" She asked. Daphne looked wide eyed.

"Sue, that's it! You genius!" Daphne said. She kissed the girl quickly and ran down, in a rush to test her theory. The girl smiled as she watched Daphne hurry away. _Things will be okay._ She thought, humming to herself as she walked to.

OoooO

Harry stumbled down the stairs to the Slytherin house uneasily. A few days ago, Tracey had approached him about some rumor and immediately put the whole thing to rest.

Despite their close proximity, Harry and Tracey still hadn't kissed yet, and he had heard from Blaise (verified by Daphne later), that Susan and Daphne had. He was very curious to see why everyone made such a big deal about kissing.

Tracey had decided to be sappy and set a small army of dwarves to sing to him, each time with one dwarf more than last time, each one singing their own song at the same time. He would get her back for that.

Tracey had the advantage of the Weasley Twins working with her against him. He knew he'd be hard pressed to get out of the situation he was in.

Harry had finally walked down all the steps and was home clear until he head a flurry of movement and turned to see a group of fourteen dwarves running at him.

"Tracey, why?!" he screamed, trying to outrun the mob that quickly brought him down.

A swift kick to his side let him know this wasn't her doing.

" _If you ever find yourself knocked down, cover your head, and ball up. Keep yourself safe."_

The words of one Graham Montague came to mind. He had said this after having joined the Slytherin team, warning that students would not be happy with him.

He quickly took this bit of advice, balling up and covering himself up as the dwarves began punching and kicking him, giggling and laughing among themselves.

"Even for pay, this is the one part of this shame that's been worth it." one of them chuckled, kicking roughly.

"Those Gryffies know how to use a paid service!" another one said, punching down one fist at a time.

"Funny, we got paid by the Huffs." a third one said.

"I gotta say, this is a really messed up Valentine for you, Potter." Zabini said, smirking.

He had just headed down the stairs with Tracey and saw a number of Lockhart's cupids kicking someone. After a moment, he realized it was Harry.

"Get off my boyfriend!" Tracey said angrily, casting stunners at the small adversaries.

Blaise quickly joined and stunned a few more, hitting a couple that tried to run.

"What is this racket?"

The two students turned to see Professor Snape staring from his office door. He saw a lot of unconscious dwarves and two of his snakes helping a third up.

"Potter. Why does this always revolve around you?" He asked with a sigh. "What happened?"

"Some students decided to send dwarves after Harry." Tracey said venomously.

"One girl isn't enough?" The teacher asked dryly.

"Not like that, sir." Harry said. "The dwarves said students from Gryffindor and Hufflepuff hired them to attack me." he said, pulling his school robes off to show a rather nasty bruise on his arm.

Snape was immediately upon them, the snoring dwarves all found themselves roughly snapping together and waking up tied together and floating.

"Good. You're awake. I believe we need to have a… chat." Snape said coldly.

The dwarves looked terrified at the man who gave them all such a sadistic smile. He quickly floated them into his office, the door creaking slowly shut behind him.

"Well, that was fun. See you guys inside." Blaise said, walking down the hall to the hidden door.

"Are you okay?" Tracey asked nervously.

Harry nodded.

"I can't believe someone hired them to hurt you." Tracey said with a shake of her head.

"At first I thought they were from you." he said with a small wince.

"Do you need to see Pomfrey?" She asked, seeing him flinch.

"Nah, it's okay." he said.

"Why did you think it was me?" Tracey asked.

"Have you any idea how many dwarves you called on me today?" Harry asked with a chuckle.

"I didn't think of it that way." she said, looking embarrassed.

"Thanks, Trace. Dunno what would have happened without you. Again." Harry said as he stepped towards the door.

"Hey, Harry, wait!" Tracey exclaimed. She had a nervous but determined look on her face.

"Yeah?" He asked, curious.

"You're welcome." Tracey said while she leaned in giving Harry a deep kiss and winked as she went through the hidden door to the common room, with an extra sway to her hips.

"Wow." Was all Harry said, rooted to the spot and feeling where their lips connected.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17: Tom Riddle**

"That's all of it." Severus said, setting down several vials containing a glowing white gas in them. Dumbledore eyed the vials curiously, his twinkling eyed shooting between them and the teacher who dropped them off.

"What exactly are these memories?" the elderly wizard asked curiously.

"Memories of the Dark Lord's knowledge on the Chamber." Snape said softly.

Dumbledore froze, the vial in his hand suddenly in a very secure grip. His wand was up, shutting curtains over every portrait and window, a shutter over the fireplace and several spells at the door to ensure no one would eavesdrop.

"You're absolutely certain?" Dumbledore asked.

"Yes. The memories were planted into Lucius Malfoy by some artifact I'm already looking for." he responded.

Dumbledore nodded and sighed, waving his wand once more.

A large stone basin with intricate carvings rose from the wooden grain of his desk with a gravelling sound.

"Well, I would be honored if you joined me; we must see how this goes." Dumbledore said, pouring the first memory into the bowl. The elder wizard looked to his friend, who nodded his readiness. Without another word, they dipped their heads into the memory and fell.

After a moment, they landed on their feet, looking around the familiar stone halls of Hogwarts.

"My… how old must he have been during this?" Dumbledore asked, looking at the decorations.

They walked to a student who was reading the paper and read the date.

"Eighteenth of May, 1943." Snape read. Dumbledore paled and sighed.

"This is when she dies." he said sadly. He turned as he heard a familiar name called out.

"Ready for those exams, Tommy?" Myrtle Warren asked, smiling at the quiet boy next to her.

The boy was handsome, tall and thin. He was pale and dark haired, with a roguish smile.

"You know I am, Myr." He said, grinning. "Waiting for Ophi?"

Myrtle nodded and followed along, chatting happily with the boy.

Dumbledore smiled sadly. This was the Tom Riddle he remembered. A helpful, cheerful student with few close friends.

Snape was having a much different reaction.

For the first time in the 22 years that Dumbledore had known him, Severus looked absolutely floored. It was entirely comical to see the man wide eyed and slack jawed. He turned to Dumbledore and pointed repeatedly at the boy who walked past them.

"That was- but he- and then- but he- with her- and he-..." Snape tried, unable to form a single sentence from many thoughts he had.

Dumbledore chuckled and raised a hand and quickly they found themselves being lifted from the memory, landing softly back in the Headmaster's Office. Snape looked sullen and annoyed.

"The memories are fake. Tampered with." Snape hissed.

"And how do you figure that?" Dumbledore asked, smiling.

"That boy. He was supposedly the Dark Lord." Snape said.

"Indeed so." The headmaster replied.

"That's impossible. That girl is a ghost here in the castle, and she was a muggleborn; he would have abhorred her." Snape said. Dumbledore nodded.

"What else seemed off?" He asked the Potions Master.

"His posture, the way he carries himself, and the way he talks; it's like an entirely different person." Snape said.

"Therefore, these memories are fake, correct?" Dumbledore asked.

"Of course! No one would believe that boy would become Voldemort." Snape said.

"Unfortunately, Severus, that was indeed Tom Riddle." Dumbledore said, his sad smile returning.

"How?" Snape asked, frowning.

"That, my friend, is what I hope we can find out. Something terrible happened on the May of 1943; Myrtle Warren died mysteriously and Tom Riddle died as well." Dumbledore said.

Snape looked and said nothing, giving the headmaster the cue to continue.

"Tom Riddle as you saw him, changed for the worse on this day. He lost one of his best friends, became cold and distant, and surrounded himself with powerful and dangerous people." He said.

"Over the loss of the girl? Were they an item?" Snape asked, knowing the pain of losing someone all too well.

"As straightforward as that would seem, no." Dumbledore said. Snape sighed in relief. "Did you hear him mention someone at the end?"

"Yes, a person he referred to as "Ophi"." Snape said.

"Yes, Ophelia Elizabeth Pythonissa." Dumbledore said. "She and Tom were close in a much different sense."

"I don't remember any Death Eater or supporter by that name." Snape said.

"Ophelia died mysteriously in the 1960s, and with her did the bloodline." Dumbledore said. "After Tom became Lord Voldemort, I kept an eye to any known acquaintances of his."

"How did she die?" Snape said, imagining a number of gruesome ends those close to the Dark Lord had experienced.

"Quite oddly, she hung herself." Dumbledore said.

"Why odd? She wouldn't have been the first to regret working with the Dark Lord and find themselves taking the quickest way out." Snape said.

"Odd because she did so with a snake." Dumbledore said. "We can talk about Ophelia later; we have some more memories to watch."

Snape nodded and uncorked the vial marked with two lines, pouring it into the stone basin.

"The pensive is ready." Snape said after a short moment.

The two men found themselves falling again before landing upright in a different place altogether.

The place was cavernous, with stone outcroppings that they realized made a snake mouth shape.

Three figures approached, looking awed.

"I knew it was real; I knew it." The first girl said. She had braided dirty blonde hair and silvery eyes that shone confidence.

"Ophi, be quiet until we know we aren't in danger!" Myrtle said in a hushed voice.

Tom nodded his agreement, but smiled widely at the blonde girl.

They walked over a pile of bones that clattered against each other, but kept the sound minimal.

"Look at this door." Tom said with a whistle that pierced the silence.

Both girls flinched and looked around, their wands shining with the light from their _lumos_ spells. They relaxed slightly at seeing themselves still alone and no other sounds coming from anywhere.

The door in question was massive and round, designed with plenty of snakes that had even Tom rolling his eyes at. Along the edges were etched markings, words in a different tongue.

"What does it say, Tom?" Ophelia asked, looking at the markings on the door.

"Let the Heir rise, and the blood of the unworthy fall; speak as the serpent and enter." He said.

"That sounds like old Slytherin, all right." Myrtle said, with a grin. "I'm more interested in how the hell he's managed to keep this door in such great shape all these years."

"We are witches." Ophelia said with a shrug. She turned to Tom and nodded. "Do your thing, love."

With that, the world around them darkened and they rose, landing once more in the office.

"So this Ophelia." Snape asked.

"Tom's love, from what I knew. She was cunning and smart, and just feisty enough to make Tom very interested. She remained close to Tom after Myrtle died, although neither of them ever acknowledged her again." Dumbledore said.

"Who exactly was she to him?" the younger man asked.

"From what I know, she was a driving force in his quest for knowledge. She shared his thirst for learning and didn't care that he was an orphan or the descendant of Slytherin." Dumbledore said, emptying out the next vial.

"Once more, into the breach." Snape muttered, dunking his head into the pensieve.

The scene was different again, but this time, more urgent and panicked.

Before them laid a mangled pile of ripped and gored human being; the blood pooled into the water that seeped into the bathroom, which was filled with water. The only real signs that the flesh was once human came from the torn head and broken arm that were connected by thin shreds of sinew to the main pile. Snape took a step back at the sight and saw Tom standing there. For a moment, he looked as Snape assumed he should have. His face twisted into a vicious victory snarl and his eyes with their familiar crimson hue.

However, the look turned to shock and fear. Tom looked at his hands and ran, his school robes wet and dripping blood and water; he was scared. Both Snape and Dumbledore knew that look; the man was running from something. They followed quickly to an unused classroom in the fifth floor, where he took a shuddering breath and collapsed, crying.

"Myrtle… oh, Merlin, Myrtle." Tom's voice said. It was shaky, strained.

"Why does that upset you? She's just filth...a mudblood; or rather was." Came a voice on a higher octave, ending with a chilling laugh that both men knew far too well.

Dumbledore and Snape looked around the room in surprise, trying to find the voice.

"She was my friend, you bastard!" Tom yelled, tears in his eyes.

His face was in an angry and bitter snarl before calmly collecting itself, the tears staining his face as a smile began appearing along his face.

"Tom, Tom, Tom." He said to himself in a higher pitch, smiling with utter malevolence. "You should know better than to align yourself with such trash. You disappoint me."

"Sir… he's talking to himself." Snape said, looking at the boy. Dumbledore looked grave.

"You have no say in this!" Tom said, turning on the spot. "You killed her, give me one reason not to turn you in or just end you myself."

"Because, Riddle. Suicide is so unbecoming of you." The boy said to himself.

"You're a monster." Tom said, before shaking his own head.

"Is that why you're afraid of saying my name?" He asked himself, smiling coldly.

"I don't fear you, Voldemort." Tom said, wiping his nose. "I'll make sure Ophelia takes care of you."

His final words echoed as they once more floated back to the office. Dumbledore sat on his chair with a hard drop, looking dumbstruck. Snape watched the man wave his hand as a glass and decanter flew to his desk, the decanter pouring itself a usual amount before Dumbledore grabbed it, filling his glass with shaking hands.

Snape looked worried as the headmaster drained his glass in one series of sips.

"Severus… I've known Tom Riddle for 55 years. I'm 110 myself, and in all the time I've dealt with Voldemort, I always thought him to be Tom. It never, never occurred to me that they weren't one and the same." Dumbledore said after a long moment of silence.

"What do you mean?" Snape asked, staring at the elder wizard who looked into the empty glass in his hands.

"It seems Tom and Voldemort share a body and mind, but aren't one another. Voldemort is Tom, but Tom is not Voldemort. Even to him, Voldemort was a parasite, growing and waiting to take control." Dumbledore said, putting his glass on the desk silently.

"Sir, is it wise to keep seeing these?" Snape asked, watching Dumbledore shakily pour the last memory into the pensieve.

"We might learn where Tom stopped existing, Severus. I will not ask, nor force you to join me if you do not wish it." The headmaster said softly.

"You know I will, Albus." Snape said.

He drew his wand and brought the bottle closer to himself, enchanting an empty vial into a glass that he filled generously. He poured it in and drank it quickly, nodding his readiness once more.

"Ophi, it's Myrtle." Tom said, turning away from his friend.

Tom was steadily dripping blood on the floor of the unused classroom they were in. How no one else had found them yet was beyond Ophelia.

"What happened to her?" Ophelia asked, looking worriedly at her friend.

"It… it was Voldemort. He used her, Ophelia; he used her to murder Myrtle." Tom said, looking into the eyes of the girl.

"Tom… no. He didn't…" Ophelia said, looking like she would cry and unsure of what to say.

Tom sobbed quietly and found himself held by the girl, who kissed him tenderly.

"It's a stain on his soul, Tom. Not yours. However, we could use this." Ophelia said uncertainly.

Tom looked repulsed.

"Use this how?" he asked, clearly upset.

"The horcrux, Tom; we can take him and put him away for good." She said.

Dumbledore gasped, his suspicion confirmed. Snape frowned and looked at the girl and then at the headmaster. He hated asking so many questions almost as much as he hated not knowing what was going on.

"But the ritual-" Tom began.

Ophelia took Tom's robe with a grim sigh.

"We already have blood of the unwilling with us, Tom." She said softly.

"Are you sure?" Tom asked. Ophelia nodded.

"We can get rid of Voldemort, once and for all." Ophelia said.

"Let's do this." Tom said, nodding slowly.

Ophelia ripped a sleeve from the robe and began making markings on the wall. Tom began making mirrored markings on the floor, both of them equidistant from each other. Once done, Tom removed his shirt, making similar marks on his chest and hands.

"Ophelia?" Tom asked.

"Yes?"

"I love you." Tom said, his words resolute.

"I love you, too." She said. He walked to her and kissed her softly.

"This will work. Trust me." She said, holding her hand out to Tom.

"I trust you. Here." Tom said, pulling a small black book from his tattered robes. "We'll bind him in this."

Ophelia nodded and with a quick sticking spell, set the black book in the center of the runic markings on the wall.

"So, here we go. One soul splitter, coming up." Tom said with a nervous smile.

"Lie down." Ophelia instructed.

Tom laid down in the markings on the floor, moving his arms up and lining himself up.

"Petrificus Totalus." Ophelia said.

Tom looked shocked and froze, not having seen Ophelia having her wand out.

"Sorry, Tommy. I need to make sure you don't move." She said, looking apologetic. "We don't know if it'll hurt and the ritual calls for you being absolutely still throughout."

With that, she began reading out the symbols she and Tom had written, waving her wand intricately for the required spellwork.

" _Serparatus espiritus, co las sanguine dui un innocentos, saccar au Tom, dejais au Voldemort._ " She chanted.

The symbols began glowing and moving, merging and separating into different symbols. A flash from Tom came as black substance began pouring from his mouth and nostrils, flowing into the small black book that was pinned to the wall.

Dumbledore and Snape joined Ophelia in watching the black substance fade into the book.  
Soon the substance stopped flowing from Tom and it faded into the book, some of the symbols faded and the rest turned floated into the air, coagulating into a small, bloody ball that dripped into Tom. All of the blood flowed into him and vanished, soon the only evidence of the ritual being the torn robe and the diary.

"Did it work?" Ophelia asked, looking at the boy who sat up.

He stared at her, unsure. He seemed to be thinking for a moment and took a pose that seemed strange until Snape realized what he was doing. The boy nodded and the two educators rose out of the memory.

"That was Occlumency." Snape said, Dumbledore nodding slowly.

"Yes, Severus. It seemed Tom and his friends had found some very dangerous magic in their time here." Dumbledore said.

"Where does one even find these things? Soul removers? Occlumency? It's far beyond any fifth year." Snape said. Once more, Dumbledore nodded.

"They were very accomplished, weren't they?" the headmaster asked.

"That meditative posture Riddle took is common for those well versed in the mind arts." Snape confirmed.

"So, where could three Hogwarts fifth years learn such a rare art, such as Occlumency, and something as dark as a horcrux ritual?" Dumbledore asked, mostly posing the question as rhetorical.

"You seem familiar with that word. Horcrux. What is that?" Snape asked. "I heard you gasp and you say the word with something just short of fear."

"A horcrux is a very dark magic I've only come across in studies, Severus. From my understanding, there are several different methods of making one, but all require the same thing, an act so terrible that it causes a split in the soul." Dumbledore explained. "With the soul torn, it can be stored in an outside container, providing the user with a prolonged and continued existence after death."

"After death…? So he did it? The Dark Lord became immortal?" Snape asked, paling.

"To a certain extent. As long as the container, or soul anchor, if you will, remains, his life will indeed continue, even after his body has been destroyed." Dumbledore said.

"So these attacks, the chamber, is it him all over again?" He asked.

"No, I don't believe so. The container is simply an object. It requires spells to activate and work. Until then, I believe it's simply a small black book." Dumbledore said, walking over to his perch, where his Phoenix stood. "You can do it, any day you'd like, dear friend."

The old bird looked wearily at the headmaster before trilling softly.

"From what Lucius told me, the diary began "acting up" and he sent it here with a student he simply described as "blonde girl". Wouldn't that mean the spells were activated?" Snape said, standing up.

"Unfortunately, we have no real way of knowing. Until we find this book, we are going to have something very dangerous to worry about." Dumbledore said, sighing and sitting behind his desk. "At least now we know the Chamber of Secrets is real."

The headmaster waved his hand and the pensive sank back into the wooden desk, disappearing from view. He waved his hand again and the curtains and privacy spells were lifted. Snape walked to a window and looked outside, seeing the students walk around. A large number of blonde headed girls dotted the masses.

"How do we look for this?" Snape asked, looking out the window.

"I will leave the how to our Head of Houses; I must inform Minerva, Filius, and Pomona." Dumbledore said softly.

Snape looked into the Headmaster's eyes, their usual twinkle and joviality replaced with a deep-seated sadness he recognized.

"Very well, Albus. Let us hope no one has figured anything out about this." Snape said, walking to the door.

"Let us hope." Dumbledore echoed as Snape left.

The headmaster stared at the door for a long while, his mind racing.

He had given Severus a shortened explanation of horcruxes. But where indeed had they learned something so… foul? Where had they learned Occlumency? Where was the Chamber located?

And these memories. They themselves were a conundrum. Voldemort liked his secrets kept to himself, and occasionally, Lestrange, from what he knew. Yet the ritual was there, once upon a time in Lucius' mind. Why had he revealed such an important secret? Was this Voldemort's work? Or Tom's?

OoooO

Inside the Slytherin dormitories, Daphne stared in amazement and curiosity as her words faded into the pages of the diary, with someone else's.

"Hello, Daphne. I am Tom Riddle, how did you get my diary?"


	18. Chapter 18

Daphne stared at the diary suspiciously. "Why are you so desperate to see Professor Dumbledore?" She said aloud as she wrote into it.

Tom sighed and cursed to himself. He didn't have time to explain or magic to keep Salazar's beast at bay and didn't have Luna to draw strength from either, so only Dumbledore could help now.

"Miss Greengrass, it is quite literally a matter of life and death, please." He said to her through the Diary. "We must prevent the Chamber of Secrets from opening."

Daphne looked surprised.

"What can you tell me about the Chamber?" Daphne asked.

"Dammit, girl, I haven't the time for this, please take both of us directly to Dumbledore." He said angrily, the writing on the book appearing faster and messier.

Daphne deadpanned and looked at the book cautiously and shook her head.

"I can't; I don't know if it's a trick, or dangerous, or both." Daphne said aloud to herself.

"Daphne, please. Someone will die if I'm not taken to Dumbledore soon." Tom said. "You do not want that on your conscience."

Daphne paled.

"Y-you can hear me." she stammered, pushing away from her desk. She eyed the door, wondering if she should run for it.

"Yes, I can, and I'm running out of time." Tom said. He would have sighed if he could, but without Luna, he didn't have enough magic to manifest. "Look, I will show you, but you must tell Dumbledore. If I had enough magic for it, I would make a wizard's oath."

"How do I know you aren't lying?" Daphne asked.

"That's entirely up to you." Tom said. Daphne could feel the desperation. A faint, tangible magic that echoed from the diary drew her in. A small crack in one corner began appearing, crisscrossing all over the open pages before crumbling in.

She saw a boy, tall and smiling with two girls. One who looked like a less eccentric Luna but with much sharper features, and the other who was very clearly Moaning Myrtle. In front of them, a bathroom sink stall grouping seemed to open up and move, giving way to a closed grate that slowly and loudly dragged itself into the floor itself. The scratching, gravelly sound of marble moving past marble settled and all was absolutely quiet.

" _Tom… is this it?" the blonde girl asked. Her voice rose from the diary with an ethereal echo to it._

" _Yeah. Ophelia, you were right." Tom said, smiling breathlessly. "I am the heir of Slytherin, no doubt."_

 _For a moment, something about Tom's features changed. His handsome, boyish smile became twisted, almost victorious. Myrtle eyed him curiously, but said nothing._

" _Let's go." he said excitedly, crouching by the hole in the floor that had once been hidden._

" _How do we get down?" Myrtle asked, eyeing the hole._

" _Uh…?" Tom wondered, before making a familiar hissing sound that made Daphne's skin crawl._

" _What did you say?" Ophelia asked, eyeing the dark, unchanged hole._

" _Huh. I called for stairs or steps, but I guess there are none." Tom said. "Is it just a drop?"_

" _Let me try something." Myrtle said, stepping up to the entrance. "_ Lumos _!"_

 _Immediately, her blinding light shone deep into the tunnel, revealing it to be a slide of sorts._

" _Here goes nothing!" she said, hopping in before Tom or Ophelia could react._

" _Myrtle!" Tom yelled, grasping at the girl. He held her cloak and found himself falling in after her, Ophelia jumping in after her friends._

 _They slid for what seemed like a long while before the sliding tunnel leveled out._

" _How… how long did we slide?" Tom asked quietly, helping Ophelia to her feet._

" _A lot longer than I thought we would." Myrtle said, eyeing the small room they found themselves in warily._

 _It seemed to be an entry chamber, by the looks of it. The slide ended in a raised platform that led to this small after chamber. An opened corridor sat opposite of them, darkness on the other side of her light._

" _That's… eerie." Ophelia said, taking Tom's hand._

 _Myrtle carefully stepped forward, Tom and Ophelia close behind with wands out. The small corridor led to a natural cave under the school. The chamber was long and wide, and whether the slow decline was natural or magical, they didn't know. They stopped walking after a short distance as Myrtle froze._

" _Oh,_ hell _no." She said, wide eyed._

 _Down at the bottom of the cave were innumerable white objects that the other two took a moment to identify as bones._

Daphne gasped and looked around.

"No, Malfoy, seriously. You can't tell me Slytherin's rise in the Quidditch department will be because Charlie Weasley left and we got new brooms. We're better than that, and we're sure as hell gonna show it." Harry said, his voice faint through her closed door.

The blonde girl took a breath and with a quick spell, made sure her door was locked and silenced. She turned back to the images Tom was showing, the threesome finally finding the courage to move further.

" _Ew. Ew. Ew ew ew." Myrtle cried as she stepped over the massive bone pile._

 _The bones clattered and cracked under her steps, making her shudder and feel sick. A large shed skin that scared all three for a moment was all that differentiated from the many bones, but that was it._

" _Why are the rock formations getting larger as we head down?" Ophelia asked, eyeing the stalagmites and stalactites._

" _Oh, Merlin's left ball." Myrtle cursed. "They're supposed to be teeth."_

 _A quick look around revealed she was right, the formations only appearing as they got closer to what was the end of the snaking tunnel. It became quickly apparent that the tunnel was made to mimic a snake, with several teeth, leading to two large upper fangs._

 _At the end of the tunnel was another chamber, significantly larger than the last one, but rather plainly decorated. A step up from the bones led to a plateau with a large, ornate door that was much cleaner than it should have been._

The images stopped and the pages rebuilt themselves from within like some twisted jigsaw puzzle, leaving two untouched pages behind.

"What? That's it? What happened next? Was that you?" Daphne asked, not sure if she wanted to keep watching.

"That's as much as I can show." Tom said with difficulty. The letters appeared slowly, faint in parts.

"Are you really that weak?" She asked, looking at the writing fade.

'Yes. Please, Daphne. Take me to Dumbledore, show him your memory, please." Tom said, the writing faint.

Daphne looked at the diary and bit her lip.

OoooO

Dumbledore sighed, sitting at his desk. Tom's fate, the Chamber opening once more… He had just reviewed the memories of the boy once thought to be Tom handing in the accused culprit,

" _Sir, I've proof. It was an accident, but Rubeus was the one behind Myrtle's death." The boy had said._

 _Hagrid looked pale and teary eyed._

" _He ain't hurt n'body…" he tried again, sniffling loudly._

That hadn't been Tom framing an innocent boy. That wasn't Tom taking advantage of Hagrid's difference.

Tom was a calculating boy. He was smart, cunning, and very talented. He was also surprisingly open to cooperation and friendship within all four Hogwarts houses, something almost unheard of from anyone in Slytherin. He was kind, almost entirely loved by staff and students.

And then… horcruxes.

What had gone wrong?

Albus was no expert on the subject. What he knew was essentially the basics, a curse from his much younger days, and the ritual he had seen in the memories. And as far as he could tell, they'd done nothing wrong...or had they?

It wasn't like he could ask. Myrtle, the poor girl, had died before then. Ophelia was dead. And Voldemort, well, that was rather self explanatory.

Dumbledore bolted upright.

Of course. Myrtle. He could ask her what she knew about her friends' plan. He quickly made for the door, almost running out.

 _Patience, Albus. You know where the poor girl frequents. You know where to find her._

He willed himself to walk. A running headmaster would be certain to get attention, especially in this time. While most of the school had relaxed, the air of worry permeated the school.

He approached the bathroom and quickly walked in.

"...And that's why I can see nargles while most others don't." Luna Lovegood said, sitting on a sink.

Her legs were swinging back and forth. She was chatting happily with Myrtle Warren's ghost.

"So what exactly _do_ nargles look like?" She asked, engrossed by the blonde girl's story.

"They're small green or blue winged creatures, about the size of a galleon at the largest, and- hello, Professor Dumbledore." Luna said, realizing the headmaster was there.

"Hello, Miss Lovegood. Not that I am against broadening horizons, but why are you in this bathroom?" Dumbledore asked with a kind smile.

"I was talking with Myrtie; she's my friend." Luna said with a dreamy smile.

"My, that is very nice indeed, but this bathroom is off limits for the time being, Miss Lovegood." The headmaster said. "Miss Warren could always meet you somewhere you wouldn't be bothered."

"That's not the issue." Myrtle said with a frown.

"What do you mean, my dear?" the headmaster asked.

"We know it's currently off limits, but the mean kids leave Luna alone while she's here. If we meet elsewhere, she gets picked on and I can't help her." Myrtle said.

"That is not good at all. Tell me, Miss Lovegood, have you any names for the students who mistreat you?" He asked with a frown.

Luna nodded.

"Good. I will ask for them. May I have a moment with miss Warren?" The headmaster asked.

Luna nodded, but Myrtle looked surprised. The blonde girl quickly said her goodbyes and skipped out.

"W-with me?" She asked as Luna closed the bathroom door behind her.

"Miss Warren, do you recall your friendship with Tom Riddle and Ophelia Pythonissam?" He asked her.

"Yes, sir." She said quietly.

"May I ask, what is it you know of Horcruxes?" Dumbledore asked gravely.

Myrtle sighed and took a breath.

"They did it. After I died, didn't they?" She asked. Dumbledore nodded.

"The day of your death." He said.

"Those… idiots." She said bitterly.

"How did you learn about them?" Dumbledore asked.

"In the library." she said simply.

"The Hogwarts library contains no such books. I made sure." The headmaster said.

"You made sure the general library and forbidden section were clear of it. You never checked Slytherin's shelf." She said.

"His what?"

"Salazar had a collection of books with the rarest spells and rituals he had found. He hid them in the library in a shelf you could only find by speaking the special phrase in a certain language." She said, remembering what Tom and Ophelia had found.

Dumbledore's jaw tightened. He did not like that these dangerous texts were out, but he figured it meant you had to know a specific phrase in Parseltongue. Those were long gone.

"And why do you say that your friends were idiots. Surely you knew of Tom's… _other_ side." He said.

"Voldemort was a parasite. Nothing else. He was as much part of Tom as a window is you." Myrtle said bitterly.

"Is that why they were idiots?"

"They were idiots for not listening." Myrtle said. "The ritual we found took what didn't belong in a soul."

"So Voldemort-" Dumbledore began.

"No. Tom. Tom didn't belong." Myrtle said, interrupting the headmaster.

"But Voldemort was a parasite...you said so yourself." he said with a frown.

"Yes. He was a dark _thing_ attached to a good person." Myrtle said. "And that's why he didn't belong."

"I'm afraid I don't follow." The headmaster said.

"A dark ritual would be used with evil intent by an evil person. What would it remove? The evil within, or the good it considers a weakness?" She said with a shrug.

Of course. Wizards always overlooked the aspects of magic when it came to rituals. With spellcasting, magic is inherently grey, with intent being what made a spell light or dark. But rituals were an entirely different thing altogether. Dark rituals were only ever meant to fulfil a dark purpose.

"And they didn't know." Dumbledore said quietly, more to himself than to the room.

"Tom certainly didn't. Looking back, I'm not sure if Ophelia knew or not." The girl said honestly.

Dumbledore nodded. He had a lot to ponder on.

"Thank you, Miss Warren; I shall take my leave." He said with a small nod.

"You're welcome, Professor." the girl said, watching him leave.

He walked out and saw Luna sitting by the door, humming to herself with a finger in each ear. He gently touched her shoulder to let her know he was out.

"Did you have a good talk?" She asked.

"I did, but why are you sitting here and not with other friends?" the headmaster asked.

"I only have two other friends. Harry Potter is with his friends and girlfriend." She said. Dumbledore nodded. "And I haven't seen my friend Tom in a few days."

Dumbledore froze.

"Tom?" he asked carefully.

"Yes. Tom Riddle."

Dumbledore found himself frozen yet again. He would certainly need to get used to these surprises. This would either be good news or not. Either way, it was a lead.

"Miss Lovegood," He said, picking his words and phrasing carefully, "Have you, by any chance, seen a small black book?"

"Yes, sir. That's how Tom and I talk." Luna said.

"And is this book still within your possession?" He asked.

His heart was hammering so loudly he could hear it in his ears and feel it in his neck.

"I wish. I think maybe one of my dorm mates may have taken it as a joke, or maybe some nightime creature decided to be mischievous." she said plainly.

Her straightforwardness made the headmaster smile despite himself.

"Headmaster, did you know there is a lot of wrackspurts around you?" Luna asked, swatting the air up around the much taller wizard.

"I was not aware, but thank you, Miss Lovegood. I needn't have my brain go fuzzy in a time like this." He said with a knowing smile.

"There is always a place and time for fuzzy brains." Luna said with a simple nod.

"Indeed there is. Now, about those students that mistreat you?" He asked.

"Have you any parchment and a quill? This one is going to be a long one." she said dreamily.

Dumbledore nodded and gave her a sad smile, pulling a scroll out of his pockets, along with an inkwell and a bright red quill.

"One thing Miss Granger still doesn't do," he said, smiling, "Is keep an emergency ration of writing materials for whenever inspiration hits."

"I do the same, but not quite as much. Mostly in case the nargles begin acting strangely or I see something unusual." Luna said, taking a neatly folded sheet of parchment from her cloak pocket.

"Very well done, Miss Lovegood. Now, about these people…"

OoooO

This wasn't helping. At all. The Lovegood girl had apparently found some clue in the Chamber of Secrets investigation that had Flitwick, Snape, and the Headmaster checking the Ravenclaw dorms and common room from top to bottom.

He was supposed to be the hero here, the triumphant one. Not some air headed blonde girl who talked about knuckles and whack spots. _HE_ was Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin winning, International Defense Leaguer, Teacher of Defense Against the Dark Arts in one of the most prestigious magical institutions in the world.

He should be the one getting accredited with this. He wasn't even asked with finding… searching for…

 _Damn,_ he thought to himself as he walked the hallways. _What_ were _they searching for?_

In all of his anger at the loon, he forgot to even ask what everyone was so worked up for. Maybe there was another approach he could use, one he hasn't thought of. What could possibly be the beast of Slytherin?

He was well versed in smaller, less dangerous creatures, and through his er… adventures, some of the more dangerous ones. But what this could be didn't line up with what he knew.

"If only there was some kind of monster exp-" Gilderoy began to himself before going wide eyed.

There was a monster expert. A man who had an inexplicable love and adoration for things that could easily dismember even him: Hagrid.

Gilderoy quickly headed down, smiling and greeting all the many fans in the student body. He exited the main doors and followed the old, well trudged path to the cabin by the forest where the half-giant lived.

He closed in and was about to knock when he heard a voice inside.

"Hagrid, I have a question to ask, and I'm afraid it isn't pleasant." Said a familiar girl's voice.

"An' what's tha'?" Hagrid's voice rumbled out.

Gilderoy quietly crept to the open window, listening in.

"Back in your third year… why were you expelled?" the girl asked.

There was a very pregnant pause before the large man sighed heavily.

"That is a mighty long story yeh've asked." He said after another pause. "Yeh see, when I was a lad 'ere, I was differ'n. Large, scary lookin' boy. An' it was no secret I liked big creatures. So, when th Chamber o' secrets firs' opened, I got blamed fer some poor girl dyin'."

"But why you?" the girl asked.

"Cause I made a mistake. I had a pet. Harmless little guy, really. Acromantula, he was." Hagrid said with a fond sounding tone.

Lockhart paled and looked at the open window as though the man was speaking tongues. A _harmless_ acromantula? That'd be like a dementor cheering you up, or one of the Loony girl's creatures being real.

"A harmless acromantula?" the girl said, echoing Lockhart's thoughts.

"I know, it sounds crazy, alrigh'? But Aragog was a good boy. Only ate the rats I got 'im." Hagrid said defensively. "Whatever the creature was, it scared my poor 'Goggy."

There was a silence before the girl once more voiced Lockhart's exact thoughts.

"Slytherin's creature _scared_ your acromantula? What the hell scares giant spiders?" The girl said in a rising voice.

"Keep yer voice down, Tracey!" Hagrid said.

Lockhart ducked down as the massive man approached the windows and looked outside. He looked around for anyone who might be listening, miraculously missing the man in stunning baby blue robes (that if he was being honest, he looked absolutely fantastic in).

"There's a handful o' creatures that scare acromantulas." Hagrid said carefully, "But none that make sense. None of them live in this part o' the world."

"Like what?" Tracey asked, interested.

Lockhart pulled a notepad out and quill, willing to waste his autograph materials for this list. This was Hogwarts, after all, he wouldn't put it past any magical creature to be there. Hell, he knew there was a Cerberus in the dungeons with access to the forest so it could stretch it's legs and hunt.

"Le's see here… there's dragons, bigger they are, the more they fear 'em. Sphinxes, manticores, and dementors. But, to be honest, there's one. Only one thing that actually hunts acromantula. Basilisks." He said, listing out things that actually sounded terrifying to more than just giant spiders.

"And none of these work?" She asked.

"Nah. See, dragons have lots o' reservations, but the nearest one is in Wales, and it's very well kept. Sphinxes are only found in Egypt, Greece, an' Italy, Manticores in Norway, parts of China, Russia, Africa, an' North America." He explained.

"What about the other two?" Tracey asked, sounding very curious. Lockhart nodded, unseen by the two conversing.

"Well, if it were a dementor, we'd all know. They're… unpleasant." Hagrid began, shuddering. "An' basilisks don't make sense either. Very rare, they only live in two places in the world."

"And they're not close to here, those places?"

"Nah. Firs' kinda basilisks are smaller, but more aggressive. Those come from Madagascar, down in southern Africa. The other ones are much larger an' kill with a single look. Those come from the Amazon rainforest in South America." Hagrid said.

"So you're right. None of those would work. Are there any creatures in the Britain area that seem threatening?" she asked.

"The biggest here by far are the giants, the cerberus, and the acromantula. Yeh should've seen Aragog's mummy. She was a beauty. Size of my little hut she were." He said with a happy tone.

Whatever he said after went unheard, as Lockhart quickly made his way back up the castle. One of these monsters could fit. He could see it now; Gilderoy Lockhart and Slytherin's Beast.

It would be a hit. An international bestseller the likes of which had never been written. It would be another step towards everlasting fame and fortune. Maybe after, he would settle down, have a few brats, and make the Lockhart name a wizarding powerhouse.


	19. Chapter 19

_**Chapter 19: Basilisks and Other Harmful Things**_

Daphne raised an eyebrow as she watched Blaise pace back and forth in the common room. She turned to Harry and Tracey, who were also watching him, albeit with much more amused expressions.

"So… this whole mood is because Weasley rejected him?" Daphne finally asked.

Blaise misstepped at that and almost tripped, turning to look at the blonde girl in offense. Her question was voiced loud enough that even Malfoy and Nott, doing their homework at a different table burst out laughing.

"That is _NOT_ what happened!" Blaise retorted.

"As you know, my mother had asked me to make sure I made plenty of connections through school," He began airily.

"Guess some more important than others." Draco snickered, getting another couple of giggles and smirks from Harry and Tracey.

Blaise glared at the boy before continuing.

"Weasley is threatening that web of connections I made. No idea where he suddenly gets this whole "Boo-hoo, slimy snakes are always evil" attitude, but he won't stop spreading it around and other then the miscreant twins, all of Gryffindor seems very opposed to so much as a damned greeting." Blaise said, sitting with a huff. "Some people from other houses have begun that rubbish attitude as well."

Harry nodded while Tracey still grinned.

"Seems like maybe it's just you? I still talk to Bones and Granger regularly." Daphne said nonchalantly.

As far as the rest of the house cared, that was a study group that had Granger for educational reasons only.

"Well, yeah, but you'd figure three of the smartest in our year would work together. It helps you focus more." Tracey said with a helpful tone.

Some of the others in their year grumbled a response, in Crabbe and Goyle's case a very late "Huh?".

"No offense, at all." Draco began, shrugging and leaning his chair back, "But this might, unfortunately for you, be Potter's fault."

"What, got tired of not blaming me?" Harry said with a sigh. Draco shook his head.

"Well, you _are_ a Parselmouth. It's the first time since the Dark Lord that Slytherin house has _had_ one. People could be taking it as a bad omen and acting out from fear." Draco said.

The room sat in silence at how accurate his words felt. After a moment, Harry broke the silence with a chuckle.

"That's a grand idea. Hey, everyone. Let's alienate the next possible dark wizard so he hates us and wants to harm us too." he said in a mocking tone.

That got him a smile and chuckles before Nott spoke.

"Unfortunately, the wizarding world has a very strong group mentality. With as publicized as your speaking was, I'm surprised we haven't seen anything in the Prophet yet." He said with a smirk.

"I hate acknowledging when they're right." Blaise said quietly to his friends. "Bunch of downright idiots they are though."

"I find myself agreeing. You feel scared so now you're gonna start ignoring or hating a whole fourth of the school?" Tracey said, receiving a look of surprise from her friends. "What?"

"It's just… friendly as you are, I didn't expect you to agree." Blaise said.

"Friendly, sure, but I'm not stupid." Tracey said an indignant huff.

"Oh, guess that's new then." Draco commented, eliciting another round of laughs and smirks and a right glare from Tracey.

Daphne watched the exchange continue. She looked bored, but she was very panicky.

It had been a few days since Tom had shown her his memories and begged her to go to Dumbledore. So far, no one suspected she had learned anything, nor had their educators learned of the book's whereabouts thanks to Ravenclaw being the main suspect house.

She bit her lip and wondered if anyone had gotten in trouble over her lack of forward action. Would she go directly to Dumbledore or would she try and talk to Snape first?

"Daph?" Came a voice, pulling her from her thoughts.

She looked at Harry, who seemed equally bored, but his eyes held a look of worry. She shook her head, a silent _"not here"_. He nodded, understanding her nonverbal response. Tracey looked at him in question, which her whispered in her ear. She nodded imperceptibly, and continued fueling Blaise's anger towards the newfound school attitude.

OoooO

"So you think Riddle did something wrong?" Harry asked after listening to Daphne.

"I think whatever was in the Chamber escaped because he opened it without knowing what was inside." Daphne said.

"So the Chamber of Secrets is in a girl's bathroom… _Myrtle's_ bathroom of all places?" Tracey asked.

"That's not the important question here." Blaise said, drawing in their attentions.

"Enlighten us then." Tracey sarcastically added.

"Who was Tom Riddle and why was he a Parselmouth?" Blaise asked simply. "Why have we never heard from him outside of his "special services", and who was this Ophelia? Why have we never heard of either of them before now?"

The silence that responded him felt heavy and grim.

"We could always ask one of them." Tracey said with a small shrug.

"How would we do that?" Blaise asked, an eyebrow raised up.

"Myrtle. If her ghost looks identical to the one in the Chamber… Merlin, I don't think she made it out." Daphne said, going pale.

None of them had thought of this, making them all look at each other nervously.

"Maybe we should tell Snape." Harry suggested.

"Wait. Harry…" Daphne began hesitantly.

"What?" He asked, curiously.

"Riddle… I think I know who he is." Daphne said.

She looked around, their curious silence encouraging her to continue.

"Well, Riddle did say he was the Heir of Slytherin, and he was a Parselmouth. Who else has been a Parselmouth in the last century?" She asked, wondering why she hasn't made the connection.

"Voldemort." Harry breathed, saying what was in all of their minds. They looked at the small diary in front of them and suddenly wanted to walk away from it.

" _Incendio!"_ Blaise said, wand out and pointed at the diary which burst into flames.

"Blaise!" Daphne said in horror as the diary burned brightly.

"If that's the Dark Lord's diary, there is no way in hell I'm getting caught with it." Blaise said with a frown.

"I agree with him." Tracey said, receiving a nod from Harry.

Daphne bit her lip, feeling somewhat guilty about not taking it to someone as she had promised.

"I don't think we're free of this quite yet." Harry said.

The flame slowly died out, leaving a slightly charred looking book.

"It's barely damaged at all." Blaise said, looking surprised.

As he spoke, the diary slowly mended itself, soon looking as it had before the fire had touched it.

"What the hell is that thing?" Tracey asked, stepping back.

"This is the point where we say screw this and take it to Snape." Harry said. His friends agreed, but none of them made a move to touch the book.

"No takers?" Blaise joked half-heartedly.

" _Wingardium Leviosa."_ Harry said, raising the diary up and in front of him. "Let's go."

Before the raven haired boy could take a single step, a bone chilling voice reached his ears, making him stop his spell, the diary falling with a muffled clapping sound.

" _Feeding time… so.. So hungry… so much blood… In the air… in their flesh… so hungry…. It's time to feed…. time to feed…"_ the voice whispered.

It didn't sound harsh, or angry like last time. It sounded… triumphant.

"Guys…" Harry began, eyeing the castle nervously.

"Slytherin's basilisk is free." Tracey said.

"What?!" Everyone looked at her in shock.

The girl held the small book, looking very pale.

"It's what it says."

OoooO

Severus Snape was having a good day. He took thirty points from Gryffindor over language and finished catching up on his correspondence. He was settling in with a nice cup of tea when his enjoyable demeanor was suddenly taken from him.

"Sir, are you there? Please!" Came the urgent voice of one Harry Potter, barely distinguished from the loud knocking.

Snape stared at the door angrily, considering locking and silencing the door. He sighed and swept his wand, opening the door. Four of his students toppled in, piling over Potter.

"There had better be a damned good-" Snape began coldly.

"Sir, Slytherin's basilisk is free." Harry said urgently. Snape felt his stomach drop.

With a point of his wand, he summoned the diary from the group, catching it with a sigh.

"Of course, my house would have this-" He began again.

"We were on our way to bring you Riddle's diary, sir." Daphne said quickly.

Snape groaned.

"You know who it belongs to and what it is then?" He asked, with a sigh.

This was trouble, but these four were surprisingly resourceful to figure this out. He felt a pang of pride through his annoyance.

"Yes, sir. Riddle was very insistent this be taken to Dumbledore." Daphne said

Snape looked shock.

"He spoke to you… how?" He demanded. The group turned to Daphne, who explained what had been seen and talked about.

"How did you know about the beast of Slytherin being a basilisk?" He asked, one last question before going to Dumbledore.

"I heard it, sir. I kept hearing a voice all year that no one else heard and it never occured to me it because I wasn't aware I was a Parselmouth until recently." Harry said.

Snape nodded and rose to his feet. He grabbed the book and walked past the students without a word.

His good day turned suddenly very bad.

"Blood pops." Snape snarled, running up the steps to Dumbledore's office just as the gargoyle moved.

"Enter." Dumbledore said just before Snape burst in.

"Severus, are you well?" Dumbledore asked.

Snape walked over and set the diary on the Headmaster's desk, who immediately went wide eyed.

"The Dark Lord has been using this to talk to my snakes." He said icily.

"So then this is his horcrux." Dumbledore said slowly.

"It would seem so." Snape said.

"Explain what happened, Severus." Dumbledore said, signaling the nearest seat.

Snape quickly filled Dumbledore in, what Greengrass related, Potter's voices, and the imminent threat of a basilisk. The headmaster paled at the idea of a massive snake roaming the castle.

"We evacuate the students, floo the Ministry and let them know so they can send Magical Beast Handlers." Dumbledore said firmly.

Snape nodded, walking out while Dumbledore used a Patronus charm to send out a message through the school.

Merlin, this wouldn't end well.

OoooO

"So why are we all standing here? We should've let those slimy snakes stay." came the voice of one Ronald Weasley.

A few agreements came out, but they were much quieter and couldn't be heard over the groans and complaints from the Slytherins next to them.

"Thirty points from Gryffindor." came a very irate McGonagall.

"Why are we heading to Hogsmeade?" Tracey wondered.

"No idea, but from the look on Snape, we should probably shut up and wait." Blaise said, looking pointedly at their annoyed looking Head of House.

With a grumble, she stopped talking and walked along with the rest of the students. After a long while of walking and a lot of complaints, they stopped in a clearing just outside of the small town.

"Students!" McGonagall called, getting everyone's attention. "Earlier today, we had confirmation that the Chamber of Secrets was not only real, but that the beast within was running amok."

This had the students suddenly talking among themselves, curious and excited.

Harry and Tracey looked at each other, a look that was not lost on the Hufflepuffs next to them.

"Did you see that look? Potter knew!" One of them cried out.

"Of course the snakes do! They've been attacking us this whole time!" Someone else called.

A few screams of panic and fear pierced the air.

"SILENCE!" Roared the voice of Albus Dumbledore, effectively silencing all sounds.

"Weasley, Perkins, and Finnigan - detention with me." Snape said, glaring at the students.

"The chamber was opened by an outside source, a cursed object left behind by Voldemort." Dumbledore said, ignoring the whines and cringes at the name.

"The object has been dealt with, and a team of trained beast handlers of the highest caliber are searching for Slytherin's basilisk." Dumbledore finished.

"It is unfortunate, but I must ask one Mister Harry Potter to come forth." The headmaster called.

Harry swallowed the bile that threatened to rise from his mouth. He shakily walked forward, feeling every eye not already on him actively looking for him.

"Yes, sir." he said, trying very hard to mask the worry he felt.

"I wish I didn't have to put you in this danger, but we need a Parselmouth to open the chamber." The headmaster said quietly.

Harry nodded, being led by the headmaster.

"Surely we don't need a boy, Albus. Why, I'm sure if I were there we could knock this one out ourselves." Lockhart said with a blinding smile.

"So kind of you to volunteer, Gilderoy. You can come as well." The headmaster said with a twinkle eyed smile as he dragged the Defense teacher along as well.

"W-well, I'm not er… properly equipped to tackle a basilisk quite yet. Er… give me some time to-" Lockhart tried, stammering a lot as he tried in vain to pull his arm from Dumbledore.

"Albus! What in the blue hell is this about?" Screamed one very angry man in a bright green bowler hat stomping his way to the small group.

"Ah, Cornelius, I was not aware you were joining us today." Dumbledore said pleasantly.

"A basilisk? And what's this about the Chamber of Secrets? This was supposed to be a myth!" The man said angrily.

"Gilderoy, Harry, Cornelius Oswald Fudge, Minister of Magic in Britain." Dumbledore introduced, ignoring the suddenly diffused man.

"Mister Lockhart, such a surprise to meet you here of all places." The minister said with a smile. "My niece is a great fan!"

Lockhart seemed placated by his fame being called forth.

"Ah, Minister Fudge. I'm very glad to meet you here. We were on our way to tackle this bad beastie and make the school safe once more." Lockhart said with a self-righteous smile.

"Great. Mister Potter, so glad to finally meet you in person; I cannot wait until you take the Potter seat within the Wizengamot." Fudge said, smiling and shaking his hand.

"Minister Fudge, pleased to make your acquaintance." Harry said with a small smile and a nod. Cyrus had warned him that the Minister would not be an ally, and to tread carefully, but maybe he could be used without him knowing.

"Why is Mister Potter accompanying you?" The Minister asked.

"The Chamber of Secrets is hidden behind several barriers only a Parselmouth can open." Dumbledore said with a jovial smile.

"Why does that mean Potter comes?" The Minister asked with a frown.

" _Because I'm the only known Parseltongue currently?"_ Harry hissed. His expression changed to amusement as the Minister and Lockhart both jumped and cried in protest of the sounds coming from his mouth.

"I take it that explains it?" Dumbledore asked with an amused smile.

"I was… unaware." Fudge said with a slight grimace. From the looks the man was giving him, Harry figured he was trying to understand him.

"He is no threat to you, so we can get going to meet Wilkinson and the other handlers." Dumbledore said with his eyes twinkling mischievously.

"I- what? I didn't- HEY! Being a Legilimens is illegal!" Fudge said, looking bright red in anger.

"My dear Cornelius, learning Legilimency is a crime, and a very serious offense. Being a Legilimens, however, is not." Dumbledore smiled.

"Then for learning, I could have you arrested!" Fudge argued.

"Cornelius, I was a Legilimens long before your predecessors passed that silly law thirty years ago." Dumbledore said with a smile.

The Minister looked like he wanted to argue the point but decided against it.

"Dammit, fine, Albus. We take the boy as far as he needs to only, then we get him the hell out." Fudge said in a definite tone. Dumbledore readily agreed, already wondering how badly Cyrus and Victoria would give him grief for taking Harry without asking them first.

OoooO

"I wonder why they took Harry; I'm worried." Tracey said, biting her lip.

"Is it wrong that I'm more annoyed he gets to go on an adventure without us?" Blaise asked.

"Can it, Zabini." Daphne snapped, looking towards where Harry had been taken.

"Diiiiid we hear a group with a man down wonder what was happening?" Said a familiar voice.

"I think so, Forge. Sad thing to be missing one of yourself." the same voice said from another side.

The Weasley twins walked around the three of them before meeting up somewhere in between.

"Wondering whatever happened to dear old Harrykins?" Fred asked.

"I think they are, Gred. Should we show them?" George asked with a grin his brother matched.

"You mean _it_?" Fred asked, feigning surprise.

"I do believe that very same thing!" George said with a grin, pulling the group towards a small group of trees near the edge of the clearing.

"This here is the secret to our success." Fred said with a smile, pulling a heap of parchment out.

"Great. Notes." Blaise said sarcastically.

"Watch and learn, Blaisey Boy." George said to his grinning twin. They watched Fred tap the map with his wand.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good!" Fred said happily.

All at once, lines began appearing all throughout the parchment, the lines forming and slowly becoming a clear map. Within the map, they could see every minute detail of the castle, with ghosts' names appearing to be moving around. They unfolded the sheet and along the outskirts they could see little dots with labels popping up.

"There we are, just out the main gate. One A. Dumbledore, H. Potter, and one G. Lockhart." Fred read aloud.

"And that's the Ministry's lead Creature Handler, F. Wilkinson, A. Mincechester, R. Augustine, R. Stone, and M. Hericlese." George said, seeing the labels in.

"Who is C. Fudge?" Tracey askes.

"Oh, Merlin, is that the Minister?" Daphne asked.

"The Minister's name is Fudge?" Tracey asked.

Blaise sighed. "Don't you ever read the Prophet?" He asked her.

"What are all of these paths outside of the castle?" Daphne asked, pointing around to some of the lines that disappeared off the paper.

"Those, my dear miss Greengrass, are the secret passages in and out of the school." Fred said with a smile.

"Unfortunately, that one is blocked. Right on top of the Whomping Willow." George said, smirking at Tracey's face at the mention of the tree.

"Is there any way we could sneak into the castle now?" Tracey asked.

"My, miss Davis! Are you suggesting we sneak into the castle during this hour of crisis?" Fred asked with mock surprise.

"Yes." she said, crossing her arms.

Fred and George looked at each other before grinning.

"Right this way."

OoooO

"Why are we heading _into_ the girl's bathroom?" Wilkinson asked, watching the headmaster walk into the room without breaking stride.

"Dunno, but are we gonna question Albus Dumbledore? Between him and the legendary Gilderoy Lockhart, I think we'll have very little work to do." Mincechester said with a grin.

"If you two are done, we do need to get Mister Potter in there too." Lockhart said with a nervous smile.

"Yes, but why?" Mincechester asked. He wasn't sure why they needed a twelve year old Slytherin, but the Minister seemed adamant about it.

Lockhart rolled his eyes and pushed past the beast handlers. They followed up and saw the headmaster eyeing the sink stalls in the center of the room.

"Ready, Harry?" The headmaster asked.

Harry nodded, his stomach a series of painful knots that seemed to get worse with each step. As he stood in front of the sinks, he noticed one basin had snakes carves into the ceramic, noticeable from age and grime build up. He took a breath, readying to ask the basin to open and-

"Harry, wait!" Lockhart suddenly said, drawing everyone's attention.

"What is it, Gilderoy?" Dumbledore asked.

Harry was sure the inept man was stalling.

"If the basilisk was out, wouldn't the entry be open?" He asked, looking at the grime snakes in distaste.

Harry blinked. Did Lockhart just say something that made sense?

"My, Gilderoy, that's a good point." the headmaster said, frowning.

Lockhart smiled. If the stories he wrote taught him anything, it was to be observant.

"Snakes also speak snake tongue. Septemvittata is trained well enough to lock up behind herself." a voice said.

The room's occupants turned to see Moaning Myrtle sitting on a window sill.

"Septemvittata?" Harry asked with concern.

"The basilisk? Big snake, able to kill you with just a look?" She said with a frown.

"Is she out?" Lockhart asked, backing up towards the door. Myrtle nodded.

"We have three handlers outside. We need to inform them now." Mincechester said, quickly heading to the door.

"Harry, we need to get you out, quickly." Dumbledore said, moving quickly. "Fabien, Anowan, with me."

The beast handlers looked at the elder wizard and nodded, nervous about an ancient basilisk, but working alongside Albus bloody Dumbledore? No mistakes and they'd be on a career high.

"I'll rally up our reinforcements then!" Lockhart said with a gallant tone, heading quickly outside.

"Such help, he is." Harry said dryly.

"Well, he did point out the thing about the snake possibly being inside." Wilkinson said unsurely.

"He's rubbish." Harry responded.

"Well, ready then, Harry? This will be dangerous, so you must do what I say immediately." Dumbledore said, walking to the door.

They walked out and Lockhart actually tried to devise a plan.

"We need to blind it." He said, going over what he learned about basilisks after overhearing Hagrid and Davis.

"You realize how spell resistant a baby basilisk is, right? I doubt even killing curses would _tickle_ a thousand year old snake." Augustine said.

"That's why I'm not trying to _kill_ it with spell fire, only take out its eyes." Lockhart said. "anything that could kill in a single moment of eyes making contact needs to be put out of play immediately."

From an opposite side of the hall, hidden from view in an unseen side passage sat five schoolchildren who watched Lockhart talk strategy.

"Did… _Gilderoy Lockhart_ just make sense?" Blaise asked in a stunned whisper.

The girls were leaning over him and he felt them nod sharply, possibly in surprise. Behind the three of them were the Weasley Twins, grinning from ear to ear.

"Feorge, I can't believe we get to see this." Came the excited whisper of one of them.

"My dear Gred, I share you skeptical views of life, and add, I cannot wait!" the other replied with a growing grin.

"Will you two be quiet?" Daphne said, giving them a cold glare that seemed to only make their grins grow.

"What are you guys watching?" came a voice behind them.

This made them all yelp and Blaise was pushed from his hiding spot, none of them having noticed Luna Lovegood had followed them.

"Zabini?" Came the voice of one surprised Harry Potter.

With a groan, Blaise lifted his face from the floor and gave a weak smile.

"Hey, Potter. Fancy running into you here." He said, picking himself up.

"Why are you- who all is here?" He asked, ignoring the obvious look of displeasure from the beast handlers.

They could do their jobs, and very damn well, but putting more innocents into the line of fire…

"Dumbledore, there's a student here." Wilkinson said, seeing the very slight frown the Headmaster wore.

"Mister Zabini, am I correct to assume you aren't alone?" The headmaster asked, his face a frown, but his eyes held a curious twinkle.

"Er… no sir." He said, dusting himself.

"No, as in you're not alone, or no, you did come alone?" Augustine questioned, the headmaster smiling as if he were suddenly enjoying himself.

"Uh… yes." Blaise said, smirking.

"And may I inquire, how did you come across us, Mister Zabini?" the headmaster asked, as though there wasn't a giant snake loose somewhere in the castle.

"You may, headmaster Dumbledore." Blaise said, shooting Harry a glance.

The Italian boy seemed to be smirking at the paler one, who seemed very amused.

"To be fair," said a voice, one redhead coming to view from where Blaise had previously fallen through.

"We couldn't resist the call to adventure." a second, identical redhead said, walking into view.

"Zabini provided such a wonderful excuse." the first one finished, both of the Weasley twins looking absolutely proud of themselves.

"So you two brought yourself and another student into a possibly lethal situation?" Harry asked, smirking.

"Only one other? Harry, you wound us!" George said, matching his smirk.

"Well, hide. It's coming." Harry said suddenly, looking around nervously.

Suddenly everyone tensed up, no one noticed Lockhart slowly backing away.

"How does he-"

"He's a Parselmouth, shut up and let him listen." Blaise said, pulling his wand out and walking over to Harry.

Harry had his as well, listening to the excited voice; it smelled blood.

"So many to pick from. So many choices." Harry said in a hushed tone, his eyes darting across the halls. "Fourteen morsels."

"Fourteen?" Augustine asked, looking at the group. There were five beast handlers, four students and one teacher.

One teacher?

"Where's Lockhart?" The beast handler asked, looking around.

"Never mind that, Messers Weasley, bring the rest of the students here, we need to go." Dumbledore said.

One of the twins walked into the wall and came back out with two blonde girls and one brunette, making Harry eye them curiously.

"I understand Daphne and Tracey, but why did you all rope Luna into this?" He asked.

"I followed them, Harry Potter." She said dreamily, smiling as though nothing was wrong.

"To the stairs then, students; we must get outside." Dumbledore said, ushering them to the stairs.

As Harry turned the corner to walk down, he saw Lockhart, sprawled on the floor, his face contorted in what seemed to be a scream of fear that never left his mouth.

Before anyone could say anything a giant green flash grabbed the man's body. Harry stared in awe as the basilisk effortlessly lifted Gilderoy into the air and began tossing him up, moving him to be eaten in a single swallow.

Harry stared at the snake he now realized symbolized Slytherin House. It was a vicious beast, but it still seemed so elegant. The vibrant green scales gave way to silver edges in the light, making the colors clear. It was mesmerizing, he was looking at it, slowly working its way to the head and-

"Harry, we have to run, now!" Tracey said, pulling the boy out of his trance. He nodded and they ran, the snake's words chillingly reaching his ears.

" _So close, little one. Run, however you cannot hide from me."_ the snake hissed, it's words echoing through the halls.

 _It's laughing; it wanted me to look at its eyes._ Harry realized with horror.

Up and down the halls, they ran. The slithering sound of the giant snake coming from what they assumed was behind, but they kept running past halls that were punctuated with flashes of green and silver; the snake was playing with them.

"Wilkinson, I'll take Augustine and Mincechester left. You, Stone, and Albus go right; keep the children with you." Hericlese said, looking nervous.

"You're daft; you know it'll go after you first." Wilkinson said.

"That's the plan; let's go, lads!" Hericlese said, leading his team down a different hallway.

"Good luck, you crazy-" Mincechester began calling out, just as a green blur burst out of a classroom door in a shower of splinters and broken wood.

The man's dying scream echoed as the snake slammed his face into the ceiling with a wet crunch that was followed by the man limply falling to the floor.

Harry stared at the body in terror as the snake slithered back into the classroom, a hissing, cold laugh ring in his ears. That's when he knew.

They were going to die here.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20: Lunar Endings**

Harry leaned against a wall and closed his eyes. His heart was racing and his side ached from running. He opened his eyes and saw everyone else looked just as exhausted, if not worse. Only Wilkinson and Mincechester remained of the beast handlers, both of them looking gaunt. Had they been this aged when he first saw them? He could of sworn they were in their thirties; these men looked easily in their fifties. He turned to his friends, all of them looking as bad as he felt. Blaise's usual swagger was gone, the Weasley Twins were silent, no jokes to lighten this mood, the near-constant dreamy look of Luna was replaced by a disbelieving dishevelment. While Daphne and Tracey both looked pale, their hair askew from running so much.

Then there was the Headmaster. Dumbledore was easily the most intelligent and powerful wizard of the last century. Had Voldemort risen to power much sooner, it was widely agreed that he would have never matched the Chief Warlock. In this situation, he was just an old man, trying desperately to find a way out. He was muttering to himself in what sounded like utter gibberish and waving his wand in repeating patterns, both Wilkinson and Mincechester staring in disappointment.

"That's it then, innit? Dumbledore's lost it." Wilkinson said with a shake of his head.

"Will you please, silence yourself? I am trying to find a way to circumvent the castle wards and apparate us out, and I can concentrate better if you aren't doubting me." Dumbledore snapped, glaring at the man who shrunk with a muttered apology.

The headmaster sighed after a while.

"Unfortunately, had I the time, and were we in the wardroom of the castle, I could get this done." the headmaster said, looking disappointed in himself. He had let down the handlers, himself, and most importantly, his students. He looked at them, all of them crestfallen, lost in their own thoughts.

"Wait." A voice said aloud.

Everyone turned to Tracey, who looked nervous but excited.

"Harry and I apparated on castle grounds in the start of the year." Tracey said, looking at the raven haired boy.

"Yeah, but we didn't ourselves, we…" He began before going wide eyed. He looked at Tracey who nodded with a hopeful smile.

"Zeri!" Harry called, the Greengrass house elf appearing after a moment with a popping sound.

"Master Harry is calling me?" The elf asked excitedly.

"Zeri, can you apparate us out of the castle?" Daphne asked, the elf nodded slowly.

"Zeri can, sort of." the elf said slowly.

"Why sort of?" Daphne asked.

"Hogwarts magic doesn't let Zeri take more than one person, and the rude elf from the summer is still blocking Zeri." the elf said.

"Rude elf?" Tracey asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, hell's bells. Dobby." Daphne called angrily. A second pop was heard and a very ragged looking elf appeared before everyone.

"What the _hell_ have you done to that elf?" George exclaimed, looking shocked.

"That's not theirs." Blaise said, settling the twins before they raged out. They seemed placated, but still wondered who the elf belonged to.

"How can Dobby- you aren't Dobby's masters!" the elf said, looking around.

"Why are you hindering _my_ elf?" Daphne demanded.

The elf looked down and cringed.

"D-Dobby wanted to keep Harry Potter and his mistress safe." the elf squeaked, eyes cast down.

"We are trying to _get_ safe, you are keeping us in danger, so you will help us out, got it?" Daphne said with an icy glare that reminded the others why she was the Ice Queen.

The elf nodded and snapped his fingers. Nothing visible happened, but Zeri gave a nod of readiness.

"Get the twins." Daphne said. With a grateful nod, the Weasley twins held on to the elves and vanished with a loud pop.

"Why did you start with the twins?" Harry asked.

"Can you imagine those two apart? Best get them going and get past it." Daphne replied with a shrug. They nodded, Dumbledore looking somewhat pleased.

Soon the elves came back, ready to take two more before a loud hissing came from down the corridor.

The basilisk was back.

The headmaster turned quickly to where the sound was coming from, a small object falling from his robes. Luna gasped and ran towards it, ignoring the elf that was trying to help her.

"Tom!" she cried, picking up the diary. She quickly opened it to the front page, seeing the word begin to form.

"Luna, stop; this will kill you." Tom's words came quickly.

"Luna, put that down, it's dangerous!" Daphne cried, Blaise and Tracey being taken by the elves despite their arguments.

"You don't know what it is!" Harry followed, running to the blonde girl.

"Luna, this is draining your life." said a voice behind them all.

They turned to see a young boy standing there, smiling sadly. The boy walked past them all, nodding slightly to the headmaster who stared in shock. He took the book from Luna, who beamed at the boy.

" _Septemvittata. , stop."_ Tom hissed, his voice carrying a strong undercurrent of command with it. For a long moment, there was absolute silence, no one realizing they were holding their breaths.

" _Ah, the pretender."_

Harry yelped as the basilisk approached, focused entirely on Tom.

" _Why are you still alive?"_ It demanded, staring into his eyes.

"You cannot kill the Heir of Slytherin. Pretender or not, Salazar's magic prevents you from it." Tom said, smirking at the beast.

"You control it?" Harry asked.

" _One moment, the youngling doesn't understand."_ Tom sighed.

" _I understand plenty."_ Harry hissed angrily.

If Tom's reaction to Harry's parseltongue was any indication of surprise, what the basilisk said next was a sure sign.

" _M-Master?"_ the basilisk said, looking confused. It's tongue darted out of it's massive mouth, tasting the air.

Tom looked to Harry in shock, not understanding what was happening. Harry looked back at him in confusion, neither of them sure what was happening.

" _Go back to the Chamber."_ Harry hissed, hoping he didn't sound as scared as he felt. Without a sound, the snake slowly retreated, heading back to the bathroom.

"What… what happened?" Wilkinson asked, watching the snake retreat.

"Who is the new kid, where did he come from?" Mincechester asked, watching Harry and Tom warily.

"Guys- Luna!" Daphne cried out, drawing everyone's attention.

Luna was smiling at Tom, but she looked almost deathly pale.

"T-tom…" she said, collapsing.

Tom ran to her, sliding the last stretch right next to her.

"Luna, please wake up." he begged shakily, picking the young girl up carefully.

Dumbledore made some wand movements and frowned.

"She's alive, but barely. Tom, how?" Dumbledore asked, checking his diagnosis spells.

"The curse on the journal. It latches on over time to make it harder to notice." Tom croaked, his voice shaking. He looked at the headmaster, who seemed surprised.

"Why would you-" he began.

"It wasn't me, dammit, that was all _him._ All Voldemort." Tom said angrily, glaring at the headmaster. "Dumbledore, I made a mistake and I need your help."

"What do you need, my boy?" The headmaster asked.

"Get Luna out and away from this diary. We need to go to the Chamber and put that damned snake out of our misery. And…" Tom said, trailing off.

"And?"

"I need you to kill me."

OoooO

They had quickly worked out a plan of attack, Daphne unwillingly had left with Luna, Tom insisted that Harry needed to go with them.

"Septemvittata seems to think he's Voldemort, for now, we need that for our approach." Tom had said. Dumbledore nodded, but neither Harry nor Tom missed the grave look the headmaster gave the young Potter.

Quickly approaching the sinks in Myrtle's bathroom, Tom walked to the snake sink and demanded it to open. With a familiar, eerie grating, the secret doorway opened up.

"Is this the only way in?" Dumbledore asked, looking into the deep hole.

Tom looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Unfortunately, I don't know. I only made it to the door before…" Tom began, his face clouding over. That had been where he lost himself to Voldemort.

"Because I was too weak." Tom said, more to himself.

"My boy, you are not weak." Dumbledore said with a frown. "Voldemort doesn't see the strengths to draw upon when love and caring are used properly, and it blinds him to an entire catalog of Magic he will never understand. His inherent weakness is, he sees action and violence as strength, never considering strength of character as a large influence over magic."

Tom nodded before chuckling softly.

"I've been trapped in that damned book so long I… I honestly missed your motivational speeches." Tom said with a grateful smile.

Dumbledore smiled and shone a light into the hole that led to the Chamber. The dirt and grime made him grimace. Tom looked in and frowned too.

"Just like last time." he said. " _Clean."_

With a single hiss, the stone in the slide began to absorb the grime, soon looking clean as though it'd been recently set.

"Huh. That worked; we should be good." He said, smirking. Without another word, he stepped in, a muted sound letting them know he'd hit the slide and was headed down.

Wilkinson and Mincechester hopped in next, followed by Harry, Dumbledore taking the rear. Harry loved the slide. It felt familiar and nice, but he would worry about that later. He had never seen this place himself, but Daphne had described it well; the landing platform for the Chamber of Secrets.

Mincechester and Wilkinson immediately began casting spells, breathing out in relief.

"What was that?" Harry asked, curious.

"A variant of the detection spell, it lets the caster know it there's a magical beast around." Mincechester answered.

"Why the bloody hell didn't you use that in the castle?" Harry asked, incredulous.

"With ghosts and house elves and every other magical creature that lives there?" Dumbledore asked, amused.

Realizing what the issue was, he nodded and lit his wand with a quick _lumos_ , looking around.

"Are you all ready?" Tom asked, looking at the group.

"As ready as we can be." Wilkinson said, shrugging.

One uncomfortable walk later led them to the large ornate door that held the Chamber within.

Everyone was readying themselves for the showdown, but Harry couldn't help but worry. After all, they were standing on a literal pile of bones.

"It shall be alright, Harry." Dumbledore said with a small smile.

"But sir, what if… what if we… if I don't make it?" Harry asked nervously.

"Harry, we live in a world where there are fates much worse and much crueler than death itself. Never forget that." the headmaster said with a genial smile.

Harry nodded and sighed. It didn't make him feel better, but he understood.

" _Chamber of Salazar, hear my voice."_ Tom hissed, picking up a bone from the floor. " _Blood of the speaker, blood of the heir."_

Dumbledore stared in shock as Tom cut into his hand, pressing the blood into the center of the door.

"Tom, how are you bleeding? What _are_ you?" he asked, not sure of how to feel.

Tom sighed and looked at Dumbledore sadly.

"Human."

OoooO

"Where exactly have you lot been?" asked a very annoyed McGonagall.

Fred and George looked at eachother and grinned, despite feeling very worried.

"We got bored and wandered about the area, professor." Tracey's voice came, Blaise trailing behind her.

"Anyone else with-" McGonagall began before a series of screams interrupted her. "What is going on?"

A student came running to her, breathing hard.

"P-p-professor, Greengrass just appeared with a house elf. Luna Lovegood is dying!" she said hysterically.

OoooO

- _February of 1990_ -

The Lovegoods had always been considered strange. Whether from Xenophilius' erraticies or Pandora's, it didn't seem to matter to anyone, they were simply strange. Pandora was made just for Xenophilius as he was for her, both complimenting the other with their oddities. He was an amateur magizoologist and reporter/editor of a magazine he had begun during his final years in Hogwarts. She was a potioneer and spellcrafter, both hobbies and passions she pursued almost as much as she had pursued her husband. It was no surprise to anyone when Pandora became pregnant. It was much harder to believe it had taken so long, as both were utterly mad about the other.

When their daughter was born, everyone expected her to be as odd as they were, and it was no surprise to the world when she was.

Somehow, through all her life, her father would always have some kind of foresight on something about to happen. Usually a small thing. _"Be careful skipping in the rain, dearest. The stones will get drenched and you'll slip and bump into the wooden fence!" Xenophilius said absently to his daughter while looking over an article._

 _And just as predicted, she had indeed slipped and hit the fence side first._

 _It was also no surprise when…_

"Dora!" he screamed, scaring Arthur and Molly Weasley.

"Xeno, what's wrong?" Arthur cried as the blond man scrambled off his chair.

"Dora! She's making a mistake! The whole house is up in flames!" Xeno cried, running out the door.

Arthur and Molly looked at each other in shock, then up the hill where the Lovegood home, lovingly referred to as "The Rook" stood. It was still there, intact and serene as ever, but Xenophilius was running towards it like a bat out of hell. With a quick shrug, Arthur Weasley began running out after his friend, wondering what was happening.

"Xeno, wait up!" Arthur called, slowly gaining on the other man. Xeno stopped and turned, tears streaming from his eyes.

No sooner had he turned when there was a massive explosion. Part of the Rook had been blown out and it began to partially collapse. Xenophilius' face snapped back and he fell to his knees, watching his home burn.

Arthur stared in shock before running towards Xenophilius. He barely grabbed the man's shoulder when he apparated them to the front gate of the Rook. The wooden fence had been partially crushed by debris, as had the gardens Xeno and Dora worked to maintain.

"Xeno, where's Luna?" Arthur asked, making Xeno shoot to his feet.

"M-my Moonbeam!" he said, running headlong into the front door that had been blasted apart.

Xenophilius ran up to Pandora's workstation, which was also her potions lab.

"-ommy! Wa- -p Mo-" came a voice, barely noticeable over the crackling fire and the collapsing structure.

"Luna!" he cried, running towards the voice.

He had taken a couple of steps when the ground collapsed beneath his feet, barely hanging on to the floor as the fire consumed more of the building.

"I got you!" A familiar voice came as a red headed man grabbed his hand, pulling him up.

"Arthur! I hear Luna!" Xeno cried as Arthur helped him up.

"Where?" Arthur asked, squinting as the smoke began obstructing his view.

"There!" Xeno said, pointing. With a nod, Arthur pulled his wand out and began carefully raising the debris enough for Xeno to crawl through.

"Go!" he shouted, raising his shirt to cover his mouth and nose.

Xenophilius nodded and crawled through quickly, being greeted by a sight not even his worst nightmares had prepared him for.

Pandora was caught under some rubble, crushed sickeningly under it. Her skin was blackened in spots, most of her hair gone. And there, by the least damaged part of the love of his life was their daughter, clinging to get mother.

"Mommy! Please get up!" Luna cried, hiccuping. Her ashen face was streaming tears, seeing her mother lay there.

Xeno approached in shock, seeing the woman he found so beautiful, so full of life just being snuffed out before his eyes.

Pandora's eyes caught his, glassy and faint, tears staining the ash on her face. She gurgled and fell and was still.

"Mommy!" Luna cried, not understanding why her mother stopped struggling.

Xenophilius came over and grabbed her, pulling her away.

"Daddy? Daddy please help mommy! Don't leave her!" Luna wailed as Xenophilius pulled her from the house.

The whole thing felt surreal to him, like a trance or some kind of waking nightmare. He was outside, standing by the remains of his fence, holding his struggling girl.

" _I'll see you in a bit, dear, gonna talk to Arthur about getting the girls some time out of home." Xeno said, smiling at his wife._

" _I'll watch Luna, Xenie, don't worry." Pandora said with a smile._

 _She blew him a kiss that he pretended to dodge, making his wife giggle and fake pout._

" _How rude of you to not accept my love!" she giggled._

" _I always accept it, I'll just leave this one on the wall til I return." Xeno said with a dreamy grin._

He never got to accept her kiss; he felt he let her down.

"Why daddy?" a sobbing voice came, pulling him from his regretful memories.

"Why what, Moonbeam?" He asked, glad that his voice hadn't broken .

"Why didn't you help mommy?" She asked, glaring at him.

"I- I couldn't…" Xenophilius said, the lump in his throat threatening to spill over.

"Yes, you could have! You could have pulled us both!" Luna shouted, tears flying off her face.

"Luna, I-" Xeno tried.

"I hate you! You didn't even try to help her. I HATE YOU!" she bellowed, shoving her father.

And as she did, he froze up, whatever was left of his heart breaking. He saw it. His little girl, just barely older than she was now, pale, much too pale. All color gone from her lips and her eyes, laying in a small cramped bed as her life left her.

After a moment of silence, Xenophilius spoke, his voice much colder than he expected it to. "You're right. I didn't and I couldn't have been bothered to."

Luna stared at her father in shock, Xeno stood up and looked away, somehow his broken heart still shattering at seeing the confusion and hurt in his daughter's eyes. He had seen Pandora's death moments ago, and now Luna's.

It wasn't fair. How could he lose it all? How could he suffer more?

 _I distance myself. I make it so her loss doesn't kill me._ Xeno thought to himself.

"Arthur. I've some affairs to get in order, take care of my daughter." Xenophilius said stiffly before disapparating away.

In the time that followed, it was clear that Xeno's heart was no longer in his work, this magazine becoming a thick, muddled work that lacked the soul it had. The Rook had been rebuilt and was a ghost house, Xenophilius only really using it for work and correspondence, and Luna almost living with the Weasley family.

-May 1992-

"It's time…" Xenophilius said to himself, slumping further into his chair. Several bottles of elvish whiskey littered the floor, a half empty one on his desk next to a filled glass.

OoooO

The chamber was empty. It was impressive, no doubt. It was a massive cavern, the far end carved in the likeness of who Harry assumed was Salazar Slytherin himself. The door opened to a large, long platform with water on both sides, floating torches reminding him of the candles in the Great Hall. The platform ended in a pool before the face, despite the many torches, the water remained darker than the Black Lake. It was still, eerily so. The wall was marked by several large holes that fed the pools without a sound.

"It's so quiet…" Wilkinson said, the room eating his words.

"Wilks?" Mincechester asked.

Wilkinson nodded and they used the detection spell and immediately shrunk back, worried. "It's coming from the water." Wilkinson said, eyeing the liquid with worry.

" _How it must eat at you, pretender."_ A voice hissed, echoing through the cave.

" _What must?"_ Tom asked, frowning as his voice echoed too.

"Only Parseltongue must make sounds here." Dumbledore observed, speaking loudly before his words were lost.

" _To have lost yourself to yourself. That the Master tricked you to give your own life away. To be a fool, Tom Riddle."_ the basilisk hissed, mocking him.

" _Do you think you do your 'master' any favors being locked here, worthless as you are?"_ Harry hissed back, annoyed.

" _Ah, the false Master and the pretender in one room. Two would be heirs to a throne not their own." The voice hissed._

" _Says the cowardly snake shouting from the shadows."_ Harry hissed.

There was a moment of silence, made worse by the silence of the chamber itself. At first, no one noticed the pool start bubbling until the sound became more defined, the large serpent bursting forth in a watery crash.

"Why can we hear again?" Wilkinson asked, putting up a barrier between himself and the basilisk.

" _You hear as I hear in my domain, morsels._ " the snake hissed, Harry hastily translated, leaving out the morsels bit.

The snake lunged forward, Harry and Tom jumping out of the way as it shot towards the three men.

Wilkinson dove from his barrier as Mincechester and Dumbledore jumped to the opposite side, the latter clapping his hands.

There was a moment of silence, but the snake was tasting the air, searching the unseen ceiling of the cave.

" _I smell you, bird."_ The snake called, eyeing the ceiling.

A shrill cry was heard and Fawkes, Dumbledore's phoenix flew in, dropping a tattered hat into the Headmaster's outstretched hand.

"Dumbledore, what the hell are you-" The Sorting Hat began as the headmaster rammed it on his head.

"My dear Hat, tell me where the snake is." The headmaster grumbled, pulling his wand out.

Harry and Tom, meanwhile, were standing up and staring at the snake. It was lunging up to the air, trying to take the phoenix out.

"He really doesn't like that bird." Tom noted. He looked to Harry. "Let me see your wand, Potter."

"Why do you need my wand?" Harry frowned, pulling his wand out.

Tom sighed and snatched it, feeling a comfortable, but just off kilter familiarity, waving the wand quickly. He transfigured several rats into phoenixes and sent them to help Fawkes, quickly tossing Harry his wand back.

"The Riddle boy has sent several more birds after the snake, who is just ahead and to the left, still shooting up." The Hat said grumpily.

With a nod that made the hat groan, Dumbledore waved his wand to the water, raising it out in a massive watery snake that solidly connected with the basilisk.

"To the left, Albus." the hat said, staring at the headmaster's wand.

With a hissing roar, the basilisk began to ignore the pecking birds in favor of the new adversary. It lunged at the water apparition as it lunged back, connecting with wet thumping sounds. The basilisk fangs dug into the water serpent, the poison being too much for the spell Dumbledore had animated it with. It fell apart as a wave of water, Dumbledore frowned as he heard his creation fall apart.

The snake turned to the headmaster and was about to attack as a second water snake and a stone one slammed into it, a loud crunching sound being heard from the basilisk.

"Great ideas, Dumbledore." Mincechester grinned as he waved his wand, controlling the water snake that began biting at the basilisk.

"Can't help but feel like mine makes a more solid choice." Wilkinson joked as he waved his wand, directing the stone snake.

As the two snakes reared for another strike, the basilisk hissed angrily, the hissing echoing at growing volumes until everyone was covering their ears.

The transfigured rats turned back, bumping harmlessly into the angry serpent. The snakes fell apart, loudly falling back to their original elements. The snake turned quickly, swinging its tail around and launching the older wizards across the platform painfully.

" _I am the Beast of Slytherin, the instrument of His grand vision. I am the Purge of Hogwarts, the end of Mudbloods. Who do you think you are to believe you could win?"_ The snake hissed, glaring at Harry and Tom.

Harry had looked away, not wanting to see if he was resistant to the death stare as Tom was. Something caught his eye, but it would require a lot of stupid luck…

" _I am Tom Marvolo Riddle, Heir of Slytherin."_ Tom snarled defiantly.

" _I am Harry James Potter, and you are an idiot._ " Harry said triumphantly.

Luck was all he needed. Fawkes was swooping in again while the snake was distracted, and with a jab of his beak, stabbed through one of the snakes' eyes. As Septemvittata reared her head back in pain and anger, Harry swept his wand towards the ceiling, sending a cutting curse at a stalagmite that hung barely visible. The uneven stone spire fell with a crackling, piercing the snake just below the head, silencing it.

"Is it…?" Harry asked, eyeing the still shape.

"I think so." Tom breathed, stepping closer to the snake.

He stared at it, kicking it roughly.

"It's dead." Tom said, sighing. "Let's get the adults and get out of here."

Harry nodded and helped the Headmaster to his feet as the Beast hunters rose.

"Dumbledore." Tom said, giving a sad smile.

"Mister Riddle." Dumbledore smiled back.

"One monster down, one to go." Tom said, his voice unsure but his eyes prepared.

"Tom, you can't-" Dumbledore tried.

"No, Dumbledore. I already have the blood of those Voldemort killed in my hands. Not Luna. Not her. Please." Tom said, putting his arms out at his sides.

Dumbledore raised his wand, looking very grim.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21: Goodbye, Old Friend**

 _I don't want to die._

That was the thought going through Tom Riddle's head as he watched the Headmaster raise his wand, looking very remorseful.

 _I'm only fifteen. I've fallen in love, I've kissed a girl, I made some friends but… but I haven't lived. I'm only fifteen!_ Tom thought, screaming in his own head.

He knew he was much older, if only technically. He was almost fully flesh and blood. He bled to open the chamber. He could taste his mouth drying out in fearful anticipation. He couldn't even turn back to his ghastly diary form if he tried.

The world seemed to move so slow as the headmaster began twirling his wand, Tom thought back to his youth, Saint Radnor's. He had been brought there as a toddler after a small bout of accidental magic. He remembered when he first met Professor Albus Dumbledore.

 **-12st of July, 1938-**

Tom watched in awe as an owl landed before him. He knew this day was coming and he was so excited. He had seen Lester get his first Hogwarts owl two years ago, and he was the next in line by a few years.

There weren't a lot of children in the orphanage, surprisingly. With some big Dark Wizard terrorizing the world, Tom figured there would be more, but maybe they just had family elsewhere to care for them.

 _Or maybe they're just dead._

How he hated the way the voice in his head laughed at that. It was cruel, angry. He had no idea why, since he himself wasn't like that.

Shaking his head, Tom carefully undid the knot that held the letter, opening it with an excited reverence.

"Taking your time, young man?" Came a voice from his right.

Tom looked up in surprise to see a man smiling at him with shockingly blue eyes that twinkled brightly.

"I'm just nervous." Tom said with an unapologetic shrug.

"We all are for our first letter, dear boy." The wizard said. "Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore."

"Oh, is that is?" Tom said with a smirk. "Tom Marvolo Riddle."

"Very well met, young Riddle." the man said with a smile.

"You too, sir." Tom said, smiling. "What brings you here?"

"If I may be honest, I am meeting with my new students." he said, smiling at the boy.

"You're gonna be one of my teachers?" Tom asked excitedly.

"Indeed, I have been the Transfiguration professor at Hogwarts for some time now. I do enjoy visiting around and meeting with students, new and old, and to let them know." Dumbledore said solemnly.

"Let them know what, sir?" Tom asked, taken in by Dumbledore's regale.

"That help in Hogwarts will always be available for anyone who asks."

 **-Present Time-**

The headmaster was moving so slow.

Tom began shaking. He didn't know why he was thinking back to having met Professor Dumbledore, but the thought quickly faded as he saw the wand slowly trace a pattern.

This wasn't fair, at all. But he was the one who made the mistake. It was his to deal with. He saw the beginnings of a green flash, his throat closing up.

 _At least Luna gets to live._

That thought alone was making his resolve stay. He would die with dignity.

The green bolt approached, his stomach tightening. He felt sick.

He had just started breathing again. Despite the thick, musky air of the chamber, it was actual air. The castle, had it always smelled as it had? The warmth in the air. And all too soon it was to be taken again.

As he saw it close in, he had one final thought as a teardrop fell down his cheek.

 _I don't want to die._

OoooO

"When the hell did we all become so stereotypical?" Harry asked, frowning.

"What do you mean?" Daphne asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Look around for a moment." Harry said.

Daphne took a moment and looked across the Great Hall. She didn't see anything out of place. Everyone seemed to be having an alright time waiting for the announcements.

"I don't see anything off." Daphne said.

"Pay closer attention. The Slytherin table is clustered around Montague and Malfoy, all discussing business and contacts." Harry said, setting it up.

Daphne nodded slowly and began looking around, seeing how the tables behaved.

Slytherins were in fact silently conducting business. Even within the chats, she saw a few handshakes exchange some gold. The Ravenclaws were reviewing their year of education, filling in whatever they hadn't understood and helping the younger students catch up. The Hufflepuffs were being chummy and annoyingly friendly all around, more so than normal. Even the Gryffindors were giving some of the younger, more worried students loud pep talks.

This was… disconcerting.

"I hadn't noticed that." Daphne said, frowning slightly.

"This whole Chamber debacle seems to have messed things up." Harry said with sigh. "Every House for themselves, virtues of the others be damned."

"Well that's rather dark." Said Tracey, sitting down next to Harry.

He smiled at her and she kissed his cheek, making Daphne roll her eyes and look around again. She saw Susan looking at her with a worried smile, wondering what that was about.

"Business as usual then?" Blaise asked with a smirk, looking at Harry from across the table with a smirk.

"You know, you and I need to have a long talk about puns." Tracey said with a mock pained expression.

"But I am worried." Blaise said, getting their attention. "Not just for my contacts. The mentality that you had to behave just as your house dictates slowly fazed out after the Dark Lord fell. And it came back so suddenly. How frail of a truce were we on, and what else changed?"

Several of the students around had heard Blaise, eyes darting across the tables nervously.

"Potter," Draco said, walking from down the table, "A word?"

Harry raised an eyebrow but nodded, signalling Blaise to follow. Just in case.

They walked out to a quiet spot outside of the Great Hall, perfect for a private conversation. Draco looked uncomfortable, but determined.

"So… what is it?" Harry asked.

With the revelation of Voldemort's cursed artifact opening the Chamber, his position as Heir of Slytherin had been revoked, much to Harry's immense thankfulness. Draco had originally reverted to being his usual antagonistic self, but he was also acting strange.

"Listen, I know you and I aren't friends." Draco began. Harry scoffed, earning a glare from the boy. "But you and I both know this Chamber incident changed things for the worse."

"I've noticed. Started very quickly." Harry commented dryly. Blaise nodded in agreement to both.

"Back during the days of the Dark Lord, Slytherin was the constant target from the three other houses. As a whole, we need to show a unified front." Draco said slowly, not sure if he liked his own words.

"Take care of our own and all that." Harry said, nodding. Draco nodded quickly.

"Yes. As I said, I know we'll never be friends, but being in Slytherin puts us at odds against the school, so at least we could be comrades in arms, in a sense." Draco said. "We take care of our own. We also take care to remember our own."

Harry looked at Blaise, who seemed to deliberate things for a moment before nodding. Harry turned to Draco and raised his hand. Draco looked at the reaching hand and sighed in relief, shaking hands quickly.

"You watch my back, I watch yours." Harry said.

"One for all, all for one." Draco said.

"All hail Slytherin." Blaise finished the Slytherin motto, looking around. "The teachers are coming, we need to get back into the Great Hall."

A moment later, the three found themselves settling back within their respective groups, both Harry and Draco promising to explain later. The loud footsteps came in, showing a very somber looking Dumbledore.

The last time Harry had seen the older wizard before today had been in the chamber after he cursed Riddle, and that had been a few days ago.

Harry shook his head. He couldn't clear the image out of his head, but he knew better than to dwell.

" _Never show_ exactly _what you're capable of. There will be plenty of people who will try to taunt it out of you, and showing off limits only leaves you open to attacks."_

The words from his last private lesson with Quirrell came to mind, making him feel sick. Words from the man who betrayed himself.

" _The world has plenty of unfortunate happenstances. You can't dwell, Potter. Focus on something out of place reduces your focus on the objective at hand. There's a time for dwelling, and a time for doing."_

Dumbledore had reached his podium and was overlooking the crowd of students, his electric blue eyes seeming to scan the room.

"It is always," he began, his words echoing, their graveness clear, "Easy. It's easy to make the wrong choices, it's easy to do what's wrong. It's always the easier to choice to make because so often, we hope, or try to, believe that no one would harm us for being young."

He paused for a moment, letting his words hang before continuing.

"Even from beyond the grave, Lord Voldemort managed one final attempt against the wizarding world he sought to conquer. There was no regard for the safety or wellbeing of the children of his once followers, of the innocent, merely a drive to unleash a beast to spill as much blood as he could, costing us the lives of trained beast hunters, of our defense professor, and almost, yes, almost two students' lives."

A murmur ran across the room as the rumor of Lockhart's demise had been confirmed.

"The artifact he used left some very… traumatizing experiences to those it came in contact with, including the one who had it sent to our school." Dumbledore finished, his eyes lingering on Malfoy after sweeping the room.

"And finally, a couple of announcements." the headmaster began.

"Can't believe he didn't mention anything about Lovegood." Daphne muttered, her friends nodding.

"With what happened though, you'd wanna end on a high note, wouldn't you? Talking about what happened to Luna… it's just frightening." Tracey said without looking away from the headmaster.

"Why frightening?" Harry asked with a frown.

"We all held the diary. Anyone of us could have been affected like she was. We could have ended like she did." Daphne said, receiving a nod from her brunette friend.

The four friends sat in silence, their Housemates around them joining in the uncomfortable silence. Dumbledore was summing up the final House points, Slytherin winning by a notable margin which most of the school didn't seem to register.

Rumors and secrets spread fast, which meant every table knew the headmaster avoided mentioning that certain blonde Ravenclaw first year who was conspicuously missing. The tables were enchanted to have just enough room for all the students and no one mentioned that the Ravenclaw table was full.

"...And with that, I shall see you all next term, hopefully in good health." the Headmaster said, finishing up his end of year comments and announcements.

The four tables rose and shuffled out, a drone of muttering cutting through the otherwise silent dredge.

Harry and his friends arrived in the common room, some students taking a moment to make sure they were packed and ready.

"Do you think it was on purpose?" Pansy Parkinson's voice rang out.

"Was what on purpose, Pans?" Theo asked, everyone knowing the answer.

"Not mention Loon- Lovegood. It could have been one of those mind slips." Pansy said.

Montague chuckled.

"A wracksprite, I think the little ditz called them?" he said. There was no malice in his voice.

"No, no, it was a wickspurt." Flint said, looking into the fire with a grin.

"Wrackspurt." Harry said, nodding at the attempt to remember that odd girl who seemed to have been met by everyone.

Malfoy nodded slowly before heading back to the dorms, the moment of camaraderie over.

 _We take care of our own. We also take care to remember our own._

Thinking back to that, Harry couldn't help but wonder if Draco had meant Luna. With a quick word to his friends, he went to check up on his things, Daphne doing the same with her belongings.

Daphne sighed as she entered her room, sighing loudly. She turned to lock her door, and almost immediately heard a crack behind her.

"M-missy Greengrass?" A familiar voice came.

"What?" Daphne asked, gritting her teeth. Her last couple of experiences with the elf were… less than good.

"Dobby just wanted to inform Missy Greengrass that Dobby has been fired." Dobby squeaked, rolling his hands nervously.

"What, Malfoy didn't take kindly to his elf following other orders?" Daphne deadpanned, waving her wand to get her belongings together.

"Well, yes. Master Draco informed his father and well… Dobby received the second most terrifying moment of his life." Dobby cried.

Daphne glanced at the elf and grimaced. The Greengrasses and Potters had house elves, but none of them behaved or looked as pitiful as Dobby did. The elf was covered from head to toe in makeshift bandages and the wounds seemed to not heal.

"So why are you telling me this?" she asked, wondering why the clearly pained elf was there.

"W-well, Mast- er… mister Malfoy made it so Dobby can't listen to the orders of a new witch or wizard." Dobby said, looking very worried.

Daphne understood. Unbound house elves died within weeks of not having masters. That's why elves were usually bred when families merged and the subsequent generations served the magical family.

"I'm sorry, Dobby. I'm not sure how I could help." she said, not entirely sure she would. Dobby had put her friends' life at risk.

"Dobby could be missy Greengrasses personal elf." Dobby said hopefully.

"But you can't follow the orders of a new witch." Daphne said with a frown.

"But missy Daphy isn't new. Dobby has followed her orders before." Dobby said with a nervous smile. "Dobby would prefer a kinder master, but I's between that or well, dying. And Dobby doesn t want to die!"

Daphne frowned at being called "Daphy", but nodded. She wasn't happy at being called an unkind person, but the elf had a point. She had taken some issues out on the elf over the year and he definitely did not deserve that.

"Fine, then let's perform the bond." Daphne said, remembering her father's instructions on "hiring" elves.

"Thank you, Missus Greengrass. Dobby will do his best." the elf said with a nervous smile.

OoooO

"Is that… is that her?"

"Yes, Xenophilius, that's her." Dumbledore said quietly, letting the bedraggled man into the hospital wing.

The Hogwarts Express had just departed, taking the students back to London. Albus had been waiting for Xenophilius to show up, most of the staff having gone home for the summer.

"My poor moonbean… she- she liked pudding. Did you know that?" Xeno asked, trying to maintain his crumbling composure.

"I did not, but I also wanted to apologize, Xeno. I realized this year, I have done awful as Headmaster" the older wizard said with a sigh.

"Whatever do you mean, Albus?" the younger man asked, grateful for the distraction.

"It seems your daughter dealt with a rather crippling amount of bullying this year, making her first year rather.. unpleasant, I'm afraid to say." Dumbledore said apologetically.

"But- but she mailed me, several times, excited about her classes and her new friends." Xenophilius said, confused and hurt.

"As a friend, I really must point out, hasn't young Luna been closer to the Weasley family than you? Because the letters she sent to Arthur show a much different point of view, from property theft to being left in darkened closets in abandoned hallways at night."

"Albus! Please, if that's true then it's my own damned fault for not being a better father, but what can a man do after seeing his wife and daughter die? My Luna is gone, don't make this worse!" Xenophilius shouted, tears falling now.

"My goodness. I wasn't aware young Miss Lovegood had died. Were you going to tell me?" Dumbledore asked, looking at the bed where a bleary eyed Luna was sitting, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"This is not at all like the heaven Mum had told me about." said a grumpy Luna.

"Dumbledore, please. Luna hates being woken out of her- LUNA!" Xenophilius cried, realized with sudden shock that his daughter wasn't dead.

"Yes, father?" Luna asked with a small yawn.

Her father jumped to her side and held her in a way that made her freeze.

"Moonie, I'm sorry, did I hurt you?" her father asked, backing up some.

Luna shook her head, looking at her father.

"Maybe this is heaven. My fath-daddy hasn't hugged me like that in a long while." Luna said quietly.

"Luna…" her father said, taken aback.

"Yes?" Luna asked, her voice breaking as she began crying.

"I'm so sorry… I am so sorry." Xenophilius said, holding her softly. "I've not been a good father and I'm just… I'm so sorry."

"I just never knew what I did wrong. I thought you didn't want me anymore." Luna said, crying into Xeno's shoulder.

"Oh, Luna, my love. I will never not want my dearest daughter." Xenophilius said tearfully.

Dumbledore let the Lovegoods have their moment, setting up some quick privacy charms while jovially smiling at the door itself, it seemed.

 _Maybe there's still hope for things to go right,_ he mused, smiling to himself.

Luna dismissed herself after a moment to clean herself up.

Xenophilius turned to Dumbledore, smiling through tearstained eyes. The elder wizard smiled softly, clearly reveling in the heartwarming scene before him.

"I-I just don't understand how." Xeno said after finally pulling himself together some.

"Sometimes, my dear friend, there are miracles even magic cannot explain. Be happy, however, that we made sure Miss Lovegood will make a full recovery, and should you so wish, be ready to go to any magical institute you wish, should you have reservations about Hogwarts." Dumbledore said, smiling.

"I will talk with Luna about that, but thank you, Albus. You've… you've given me my family back in one piece." Xeno said. Dumbledore nodded.

"Are we ready to leave, Daddy?" Luna asked, returning in her usual unusual attire.

"Yes, moonbean, we are ready to go as soon as you are." Xeno said with a beaming smile. Luna nodded, looking very hopefully at her father.

With a quick and final farewell, the Lovegoods left, talking with an excitement that felt almost tangible. Dumbledore smiled for a moment before his face found itself frowning once more. This year came with many worrisome revelations.

Voldemort had left himself a backdoor. Tom was a piece of him, but that didn't seem right. Voldemort would be sure to have a plan in place for his own demise. Horcruxes would, unfortunately, be very appealing to a man like that. With Tom being one, it seemed likely he would have another.

With that final thought, he looked at the last occupied bed in the infirmary before walking out. The sleeping boy rolled over and mumbled in his sleep.

There was an idea that needed to be checked.

OoooO

"It's so damned bright. I thought this was England." Bellatrix complained.

Sirius black found himself grinning despite the breathless pain in his side he felt.

"Bellatrix Druella Black, we just bloody swam all this way. You're complaining about the sun after _Azkaban_?" He said, laying back on the beach they found themselves on.

"Yes, but we did just _escape_. We're fugitives, Sirius. We can't relax too much." Bellatrix said, checking their surroundings.

"Boy, you must be fun at parties." Sirius said, snickering at Bellatrix's glare.

"I am very fun, thank you very much! I would just prefer _not_ getting arrested again." Bella said, arms crossed.

"Your case is significantly easier than mine." Sirius said, looking quizzically at his cousin.

"And how the hell is that the case?" Bellatrix demanded.

"You did what you did under an Imperial contract. The whole world knew the Lestranges were a dark bunch of bastards, so there's that literal pile of paper work at your disposal." Sirius pointed out, making Bellatrix look surprised.

"Twelve years in that hell and it never occured to me to check for the documents." Bella said, looking dumbstruck.

"To be fair, you went directly to a nice cell without as much as a trial." Sirius said bitterly.

"And in your case, we need to find Peter Pettigrew." Bella said, frowning.

"Yeah, and we know he's a slippery prick. So for now, all of England, Scotland, and Ireland are not friends to the Blacks, so I know what we've gotta do." Sirius said, suddenly smiling.

"And what exactly is that?" Bella asked, wondering what that smile was for.

"We, my dear cousin, are going to the Caribbean. Sunshine, men, women, food, and merry times. We've twelve years in thay shit hole to make up for. So, we relax for a moment, clear our heads somewhere outside of the isles, and come back with a solid plan." Sirius said, his eyes shining with life not had in years

"You- you're serious, aren't you?" Bellatrix asked, wondering if Azkaban had affected him so badly.

"Since birth, Bella." Sirius grinned. His cousin groaned, but he didn't care. He was a free man, fugitive or not. As soon as he could get the little prick's trail, the rat was dead. This, Sirius vowed, would be so.

He would not be denied his revenge.

I am so sorry for the wait, I've been super busy between work and school that I totally forgot to check up if this chapter had been edited or not. The story will continue, and thank you for keeping up with it. Please favorite, follow and review, those help remind me to keep up with the story.

 **A quick note from the author,**


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22: Aftermath and Hurt**

Dumbledore smiled at the young blonde woman who sat behind the desk, looking quite... absent, would probably work.

"The Minister will see you now, Mister Dumbledore." the girl said.

"Thank you, Sydney. Enjoy your day, dear." Dumbledore said with a polite smile as he walked into the Minister's office.

"Ah, Albus. Good, good." Fudge said, smiling grimly.

"Cornelius, pleasant as ever." The elder man said kindly.

There was a moment of palpable awkwardness in the ensuing silence before the Minister cleared his throat.

"I believe we have a talk that's long overdue." Fudge said, sitting upright, glad he didn't sigh.

"And I believe this is to do with the Chamber of Secrets, correct?" The Headmaster asked.  
Fudge nodded.

"Believe me, Dumbledore, not allowing the Board of Directors of Hogwarts to have Hagrid arrested and keeping you in position was not easy, even through everyone saying otherwise."  
Dumbledore scoffed, making Fudge glare.

"Something you want to say?"

"Cornelius, I like you." Dumbledore began slowly, "And I want to keep liking you. As you're very well aware, your job is something I don't want. I have never wanted it, not before you were old enough to want to aspire to something, and certainly not now."

Fudge looked flustered and opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off instantly by the Headmaster.

"That you managed to not listen to the worm perched within your ear for once is not something to brag about, but rather something you should attempt to do more often. Now, I assume you've questions, and I will answer some as best I can." Albu continued, letting the younger man finally talk.

"How the hell did a Basilisk get to Hogwarts, and how did it remain undetected this whole time?" He asked.

"As far as my study with your surviving Beast Handlers," Dumbledore said, making Fudge shiver at how he said surviving, "the creature was magically enhanced. How and why, we aren't sure, but as the limited history of Salazar Slytherin suggests, in the end, he regretted having a hand in creating Hogwarts."

"And my handlers?" Fudge asked.

"Handled themselves admirably, I am quite regretful for the unnecessary bloodshed that occurred at my school." Dumbledore said, looking suddenly older at the loss of those at his school. "Hogwarts is, after all, a school, even if one with an unpleasant past.."

"Er.. yes, I am glad to hear that. the survivors are getting a very well earned vacation and recognition, as well as important mentions in the discovery of the Chamber. The dead... well, the families appreciate the compensation, but..." Fudge said, a far away look in his eyes as he remembers crying children and screaming wives.

"As well, the Chamber has been checked, no basilisk eggs, thank Merlin. It seems the magic stunted the otherwise asexual reproduction of the beast." Fudge finished.

"Indeed, and we should be glad so. Now, as to next year," Dumbledore said, frowning, " I need to ask you not to station Dementors of all things at my school."

Fudge gaped.

"How did you-?"

"Cornelius, you know as well as I that there is not a great many people who won't leak news to the press. The article about the escape of Sirius Black and Bellatrix LeStrange is already being worked on, as well as your foolhardy attempt at keeping Hogwarts 'Safe'." Dumbledore said frowning.

"Albus, there were only three Death Eaters who commanded the Dementors, outside of You-Know-Who himself. All of them, save Rabastan LeStrange are dead, and he's in a cell away from the soul suckers." Fudge said. "We have them under control."

"yes, but think about the students. You know as well as I do that Dementors cause serious bouts of depression and mental instability after exposure to them. Do not do this to children who are just trying to learn." Dumbledore argued.

"Albus, Oswald is going to Hogwarts right now. Do you think I want my fourteen year old son around these things? No. But my hands are tied on Wizengamot is pushing this vote, convince them, not me." Fudge said unhappily.

Dumbledore sighed.

"I will try then." Dumbledore said.

"Thank you. One last thing, Albus?" Fudge asked.

"Yes?"

"How did he do it? I've been going over lists of spells, some even of the foulest I could find, and I am at a loss as to how he almost stole the life and strength of a little girl, how he put memories in people's heads. He's dead, and if artifacts like this are around..." Fudge shivered.

"If there are, and I am certain there are, I am beyond certain that these artifacts are extremely limited in quantity. I have a hunch, but I am... unwilling to simply share it. It could be nothing." Dumbledore said.

"I doubt it's nothing, so please, tell me." Fudge said firmly.

Dumbledore stared at the Minister for a moment before drawing his wand. He cast several spells Fudge noticed were privacy charms and other spells he didn't know. Whatever this was…

"I will need an Oath from you, if I am to share this with you." Dumbledore gravely.

Fudge paled. He knew the consequences of breaking a Wizarding Oath. He nodded slowly and drew his wand.

"I, Cornelius Oswald Fudge swear upon my life and magic that i will uphold any and all requirements and such set forth by Albus Dumbledore for the information he shall share herein, so be it." Fudge said, seeing the green light shine.

He gulped audibly as Dumbledore seemed to stare into him.

"You will not attempt any way to circumvent this Oath." he began.

Fudge nodded, a second green light emerging.

"You will share this information with absolutely no one unless I've allowed it, in any way shape or form, written, spoke, telepathically or anyhow."

Another nod and light.

Dumbledore stared at Fudge for a moment, considering his options. He sighed for a moment.

"I believe Voldemort made Horcruxes." Dumbledore said, eyeing the man.

He gave a small start at 'Voldemort', but otherwise had no reaction to the horcruxes.

"Ask Bode, he'll know." Dumbledore said slowly.

Fudge nodded slowly. He knew the Unspeakable had the only access to some of the darkest knowledge found in Britain, besides himself, of course.

Before Fudge could speak further, a dark skinned man burst into the room, looking panicked.

"Minister, We've got reports of the Azkaban breakout starting a small riot, we've lost control of LeStrange's wing."

Fudge looked alarmed.

"Shacklebolt, get Bones and Scrimgeour here, now!" He roared.

The man nodded and ran off. Dumbledore looked slightly amused.

"The hard life of the Minister for Magic." Dumbledore mused.

Fudge chuckled and waved him off.

"I will ask Bode, but thank you, Albus."

"You are very welcome, Cornelius. I really believe you could be a significantly important minister, if you ever learn to escape the pockets you're in." Dumbledore aid, walking out.

Fudge looked thoughtful for a moment before the Head Auror and Magical Law Enforcement Head walked in.

Now was not the time for thinking, it was time for action.

OoooO

"Harry?"

Harry looked up from his desk, seeing Victoria standing at his door. Cyrus was next to her and both looked concerned.

"One second." Harry said. He finished up his letter and sealed it, leaving it on the edge of his desk, noticing both Greengrasses fidgeting nervously.

"Is something wrong?" He asked, seeing how they were behaving. "Is Daphne okay? Are you pregnant?"

"Daphne is fine, son. No baby, we just... have some news." Cyrus said.

 _Nothing good_ , Harry thought, seeing their expressions.

"So...?" Harry asked, trying to get a response from the jittery adults.

"We've talked about Sirius Black, your parents' friend?" Victoria questioned.

"Yes, the man who sold them to Voldemort, I'm aware."

Cyrus raised an eyebrow to his wife, a nonverbal 'are you sure?'.

Victoria nodded slightly before continuing.

"Yes, well, it seems Sirius has escaped from prison. And not alone."

Harry was silent for a moment.

"Who else escaped?"

Another moment of silence. It must be bad.

"Bellatrix LeStrange."

"Bellatrix LeStrange?"

"Yes, Bellatrix LeStrange."

"So, this man you've spent almost thirteen years supporting his supposed innocence just escaped from one of the most secure prisons in the world, one that no one has ever, EVER escaped from, and he did so with one of Lord Voldemort's most dangerous followers?" Harry asked.

The ensuing silence said everything he needed to know. He huffed and went back to his desk, tossing the letter he had written in the trash.

"What are you doing?" Victoria asked quietly.

"I wrote this letter to Daphne while she was staying with Uncle Roland, but it seems the overall demeanor was too happy, so I'm starting over." Harry said, writing his new draft.

"Speaking of which, has Daphne said anything...important?" Victoria asked, curious.

Harry stopped and turned around, emerald eyes watching the Greengrasses' body cues.

"Important how?" He asked slowly.

"What would you consider important?" cyrus asked cryptically.

"Schoolwork, upcoming elective class choices, her relationship or my own?" Harry asked, putting some choices up there.

"Close, some is in the right category, but no." Cyrus said, smirking at the boy's cleary irked face.

"So then tell me if it's important." He said.

Both Greengrasses stared at each other before slowly grinning in a predatory sense that reminded him of the Weasley Twins just as they picked a new target.

"That, my dear boy, is something to ask Daphne, isn't it?" Victoria said.

Harry huffed indignantly. They had done this before after he had snuck into the living room once to peak at his Christmas presents when he was six. He had long since learned not to try and argue out, they knew something he didn't and would not relent until he found out.

"Fine, so you're just gonna keep me here, a million possibilities on my mind without telling me until I can ask Daphne, who doesn't return until the week before school starts?" He asked, hoping the guilt angle would work.

"Wow, a million possibilities already? Can't wait to hear how many they'll be by the end of the day." Cyrus said smugly.

"Dammit." Harry said simply.

OoooO

Draco rolled his eyes at his father's antics.

 _This is the man I'm being groomed to take after? This sniveling wreck?_ He thought angrily as he watched the house-visiting mind healers tend to his father.

The words "wasn't aware" and "didn't know" floated to him and he found himself unable to stop his eyes from rolling once more.

Excuses. That's all this man made.

Excuses had made the Malfoy name.

 _And I will be damned if the excuses continue with me. Abraxus, Lucius, I will make sure to make the name Malfoy worth more than the dirt you've tracked on it._ Draco thought icily, seeing his father shiver.

Draco glared at the man, becoming more and more angry and disillusioned.

"...And the memories…" Lucius groaned, shivering for dramatic effect, "The memories of some of the most vile things…"

"A weakling. A weak willed fool unable to be whole to himself." Draco whispered harshly. "Only a weak minded individual would be victim to memory implants. You said so yourself, Lucius."

"Draco?" Came a voice to his left.

He turned to Pansy, sighing.

He was beginning to see the downside of having whatever he wanted. Sometimes it turned out he didn't want something as much as he thought. Maybe his parents would allow him to return Parkinson, just as he had with the Nimbus 2000 his father tried getting him.

Either way, he would be careful with what he wanted. For now, he needed to plan. He would hide in his father's shadow, let Lucius think he held control. He would supplant him when the time was right.

After all, a snake always waits for the proper time to strike.

"Draco!" Pansy said again, determined to get his attention.

"Silencio!" Draco muttered, waving his hand absent-mindedly.

The gasp of surprise never left Pansy's lips audibly, and the hungry and proud look Draco got when he realized what had happened made her retreat from the blond to the room she was given in Malfoy Manor.

This summer would be fun.

OoooO

"Albus! Sorry, the place is kind of… why are you- err… what do I owe the visit to?" Remus Lupin asked, seeing his old Headmaster at his doorstep.

"Ahh, I was rather hoping for a chance to talk to you." Dumbledore said politely.

"Uh, sure! Give me a moment." Remus said, gently closing the door.

Dumbledore stood outside, looking around absently, smiling at the sudden crashing, clanking, and swearing he was hearing as the man quickly cleaned his flat.

After a few moments of the chaotic noise there was a moment of silence before a slightly disheveled Lupin opened the door, letting him in.

Albus took a seat at the rather ragged sofa and frowned. He hadn't seen Remus in a good while, the man was rather reclusive, after all, but..

"Remus, if you don't mind me asking, how is work?" Dumbledore asked.

Remus frowned and looked at his home.

"Slow." the man said finally.

"I take it because…?" Dumbledore said in an alluding tone.

Remus nodded hesitantly.

"You do realize that the Potters left you a significant amount in their wills, right?" Albus said carefully, sighing internally as he watched Remus tense slightly.

"Albus, I didn't accept James or Lily's charity when they were alive, I won't take advantage of them now that they're gone." He snapped.

"I understand, Remus," Dumbledore said, holding his hands up placatingly, "But it would do bad for their memories to not be appreciated for their caring."

Remus looked at the floor and closed his eyes, sighing.

"Look, I'll - I'll think about it. Is that all you wanted?" Lupin asked.

"No, actually, there was something I needed to ask, quite seriously." Dumbledore said, pulling a long scroll of parchment from his sleeve, it seemed.

"Yes?" Lupin asked, eyeing the scroll.

"In a very memorable turn of events, I'm sure you heard of what happened in Hogwarts with the Chamber of Secrets and young Mister Potter." Dumbledore said.

"Yes," Lupin said, frowning, "A basilisk that could have attacked us at any time. Awful."

"Yes, well, unfortunately, the beast seems to have eaten my Defense professor, and I am here to offer you the position as Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts." Dumbledore said as if discussing the weather.

Lupin stared incredulously for a moment before clearing his throat and sitting up.

"So, your most recent professor just _died_ , and you're offering me _his_ post?" He asked the headmaster, who smiled jovially.

"On point, as usual." Dumbledore chuckled.

"Albus-" Remus began, but Dumbledore cut him off.

"Remus, you're an extremely qualified individual, and as untasteful as it seems, we do need a teacher for the position. I chose to seek you out, yes I could find someone without your "problem", however, I would prefer you for a number of reasons." Dumbledore said, making the man glare slightly at him.

Lupin stared at the man, defeated.

"It's because of my _problem_ that I don't want to. I'm a risk and-"

"Lupin, _that_ is indeed a difficult situation, but you are aware of the heavy availability of _that_ potion. I made sure to pass the law prohibiting over pricing and underproduction. I am aware you take the potion yourself, am I wrong?" Dumbledore asked.

Lupin looked down and shook his head.

"No, you're not wrong."

Dumbledore chuckled.

"My boy, when am I ever wrong?" he asked.

Lupin looked him straight in the eyes, a deep-seated sadness let the aged man know the answer before his younger friend even uttered it.

"Sirius."

There was a moment of silence, followed by a sad sigh.

"Albus, I'm sorry, I just-" Lupin said, worried it'd been too much.

"It's quite alright, Remus. It is an unfortunate thing that sometimes you trust your instinct and beliefs over the truth. All the evidence pointed to Sirius being the spy in our midst, and I even believed him when he said poor Peter had been the one who did that terrible act. But him escaping, and with Madame LeStrange." Albus said, putting an uncomfortable emphasis on the LeStrange name.

"We all did, Albus. But I guess the Black family really does look after its own." Lupin said, glaring at the newspaper.

There was two pictures side by side of the fugitive magicals in question, both looking quite gaunt and mad indeed.

 **LESTRANGE AND BLACK**

 **DARK WIZARD LIEUTENANTS AT LARGE**

In a shocking event that has the International Confederation of Wizards (The ICW) searching every inch of the infamous Azkaban prison, two of the most dangerous convicts within its walls have been confirmed to have escaped.

"We know Black and LeStrange were in You-Know-Who's inner circle of fanatics, and this escape coming so soon after the reports of Slytherin's Basilisk in the legendary and very real Chamber of Secrets seems more than coincidence." said a representative of the Ministry of Magic earlier today in a statement about what the men and women in charge will be doing about the escapees.

For more information on the crimes committed by the pair, see Page 7, the Azkaban report on Page 5.

Albus sighed and sat, looking sadly at the newspaper. He was an educator, a man who despite a turbulent past had grown as a trusting man. This was, for lack of a better word, disheartening. Heartbreaking.

"It's always those closest, I guess." Albus said softly.

Lupin softened a bit at the saddened headmaster.

"Sorry. Sometimes I forget, the thing with Grindelwald.." Lupin said, trailing off.

Albus nodded again. He never kept it private that he and Gellert had been friends, maybe at one point more, but he did what needed be done. He knew about heart wrenching betrayal from your closest friend.

"Heart wrenching. More for the list." Albus said, smiling sadly.

Lupin stared, unsure.

"List?"

"Of words for how this makes me feel."

"Ah. Okay."

After all, what else could Remus say? He felt the same. He looked around his flat before cursing mentally at what he was about to do.

"Fine."

Albus looked up, his eyes twinkling in that way Remus found to be condescending.

"You'll do it then?" Albus asked.

Remus nodded.

"I assume the scroll is the contract?" He asked.

With a wide smile and sharp nod, Dumbledore handed the scroll to the younger man to sign. Remus looked surprised that it had been unanimously signed by the Hogwarts Board of Directors, including Lucius Malfoy.

" _Malfoy_ signed this? Seeing my name? Knowing about-? Remus gaped, not quite believing it. "That's not possible, you faked it!"

"On the contrary, after the chamber debacle, the entire Board asked me to find someone to teach Defense who actually specialized in creatures, seeing as how Gilderoy proved to be a fake. You, my boy, despite your feelings about yourself, have an immense knowledge of dangerous magical creatures, second only perhaps, to Hagrid." Dumbledore said. Remus frowned.

"So why not just ask Hagrid?"

"Because we both know that Rubeus, as knowledgeable as he may be, also has a tendency to not see the inherent danger. He loves the creatures, magical and mundane, whereas you have a more scholarly and wary view of them. You know the defensive countermeasures, antivenoms, ways of subduing significantly better."

Remus couldn't help the small smile that broke across his face. He knew he was being bashful, but even he could see the point.

"I already said I'd do it, Albus, you don't need to sell me further on it." Remus said, reading the contract over.

Albus smiled. Perhaps the next year wouldn't be so bad.

Just maybe.


End file.
